Durc's Story (Book 9 of 9) Dura's New World
by RedRoseOfTexas
Summary: In prehistoric Central America, before the great civilizations of the Incas, Mayans, and Aztecs emerged to dominate the New World, a boy is forced to grow up before he is ready.


Originally posted on Archive Of Our Own November 29, 2019

Durc's Story (Book 9 of 9) Dura's New World

Summary:  
In prehistoric Central America, before the great civilizations of the Incas, Mayans, and Aztecs emerged to dominate the New World, a boy is forced to grow up before he is ready.

Notes:  
As mentioned in the end note of Book 8, this is a new set of characters based on a reincarnated Dura. It is the final book I wrote in this series, although it is still a work in progress.  
The first 8 books published on AO3, after editing, total over 200,000 words, an average of 25,000 words per book. This book is almost exactly that number, so that is what will be published here. It is a fairly complete story, but it is only the beginning.  
Since I began posting these books in April, I have added another forty thousand words as the story continues to unfold in my mind and draws me back to it between projects. I may eventually post it here, but since it is now the length of a novel, and no longer contains characters of another author, I may publish it for real. Consider this a book preview and let me know if you would be interested in more of the story.

Chapter 1: Prologue

"What do you mean I can choose?" Dura asked.  
"That's right, you came from the memory people. Here, we not only can play with the genetic progress of each species, we can go down and experience a lifetime as one of them."  
"Really? Can I choose when I go back?"  
"Any time you want."  
"No, can I go back and grow up as my mother's friend?"  
"No, the past doesn't exist. Time is merely a description of the movement of matter. Matter only moves, it cannot un-move. Existence only moves forward. The choices you have are only those ahead. We know when a child is conceived. After that we can plan when to make the entry point, usually a few months after they are born. Some like to go early if the trip is for suffering."  
"For suffering?"  
"That's how you build up energy in this realm. That gives you the power to change things in the physical world."  
"Like my mother protecting me and my father."  
"No. The memory people cannot change things in the physical world. They do have the ability to see what is coming and communicate with the physical world, something we cannot do directly, so that is how they influence outcomes."  
"That's why the Others are never visited by the spirits."  
"If they had significant contact with the memory people, like Ayla did, it is possible."  
"If I go back, will I forget my love for you?"  
"Of course not."  
"Will you go back with me?"  
"Not as a human. I don't want to stay there that long again. I may go as a small animal so that I can visit you."  
"Then I will stay here too."  
"I can see in your eyes that your adventure is not yet complete. You want to run the rest of the world."  
"I do. I saw it on the way here. I flew over it like a great bird. Maybe I should go back as a bird, then I would not be gone as long."  
"What did you love most about your journey?"  
"Telling others about it."  
"Exactly. Only humans do that."  
"What if I forget that I want to journey when I get down there?"  
"We will push you. The same way you were pushed the first time. Desire is biochemical, something we can manipulate from here. You may fight it, but only if there is something better in your life."  
"Where do I start?"  
"There are many people on the new continents. They were Hoshiman's people who moved when the great ice wall did not block the land bridge. Soon the ice will melt and cover the bridge and cut off the two peoples permanently."  
"So I should go to Hoshiman's people and wait for the ice to melt?"  
"No. I think you should start in the middle of the two continents. Then you can travel north or south as you wish."  
"What kind of people are there?"  
"They are similar hunter gatherers, but they have started to create a more complex group like the Lanzadonii. You did much to bring ideas from around the old continents back and made them the most advanced of people. You could do the same for these new people."  
"When should I go?"  
"After you have had time to adjust, and we have had time together, my love."

Chapter 2: Prince Azura

"The boy's name is Azura." King Belar announced to the crowd, holding up his newborn son. The gathered thousands of people cheered. They began chanting the name in the front, so the people in the back who had not heard the name would know it as well. It would be a name known for generations since the baby was destined to be the next king.  
The king turned from his people and handed the child back to his mother.  
"For my son we will build a great temple. We will tell the gods that we are pleased with this gift."  
Everyone cheered, but most knew the difficult task of building was a burden they would bear. Their children would live and die carrying heavy stones far distances. Many of them barely survived similar building projects. More than one man in the crowd felt anger toward the king.  
"There is no value in these buildings." Dunka muttered.  
"Hush my husband. They will sacrifice all of us if they hear such words." Inara said.  
He nodded, knowing that the whole family were often punished for the crimes of the perpetrator. He looked at his three young sons.  
"They need our strong backs to build it. They will kill us with work, Inara."  
"Better that than being sacrificed." She said, genuine fear in her eyes.  
"The bigger the temples, the more blood they will want for their gods."  
"Dada, carry." Dunka looked down and saw his daughter with arms upstretched. He smiled and pulled her up, placing her on his shoulder. She smiled as she looked around, finally able to see beyond the bodies that surrounded them.  
Inakara looked out from her shoulder perch to see the king on his high stone perch. The sun glinted off his shiny gold ornaments. She liked shiny things.

Chapter 3: Inakara

"This is my temple." Azura said. Everyone knew this, but he never tired of saying it.  
"Why don't you help build it then?"  
He turned angrily to the voice that had spoken. He found his voice stilled by the defiant eyes of the older girl. "You seem strong enough to carry a stone or two." She squeezed his shoulder.  
"I could carry all of them if I chose to." He said with a childish bravado, shrugging away her touch.  
"Imagine how strong you would be after doing that." she said, batting her eyes playfully.  
"What is your name, slave?" He asked imperially.  
"My name is Inakara. I am not a slave."  
"Slave or not, you do as I command."  
"You would do better to inspire work than command it."  
Azura had no idea how to inspire anything. He wasn't even sure what the word meant, but he had no intention of letting her know that. "You should be careful what words you use in the presence of a prince."  
"I apologize, my prince, if I have offended you in any way." She said bowing slightly.  
He could tell she did not mean a single word of the apology, but he liked the way she called him 'my prince', even if there wasn't the normal deference in her posture. "You may continue with your work."  
"Thank you, my prince." She said with a lightness. He continued walking on, but looked back several times.  
"Do you have a death wish?" Inara said, scolding her willful daughter.  
"Don't worry mother, he will not harm us."  
"Their moods change with the winds. Better not to be in their sight."  
"You worry too much, mother. I am going to get more water."

"Inakara."  
"My prince. Have you come to help with the building?"  
"I have come to see the progress."  
"Not much since last week. I think you are here for something else."  
"Certainly not more insolent words from a slave."  
"Would you prefer I was your slave?"  
"I see little difference between those who labor for my father."  
"So… you know the name of all those who labor for your father and come to greet them in a regular manner?"  
"I was just…" he trailed off, searching for an explanation.  
"Just what?"  
"Checking on progress."  
"The progress of your temple, or my progress?"  
"My temple, of course."  
"I can show you the inside if you want."  
"My father says it is too dangerous for me until the supports are finished."  
"It isn't too dangerous for me, I go in several times per day. Are you afraid?"  
"Not at all."  
"Then you would like to go see it now?"  
"Umm… yes."  
"Good." She picked up the leaf wrapped bundles of food she had been preparing and handed them to him, filling his arms unexpectedly. She slung the water bags over her shoulder and took him by the arm and led him toward the entrance to the underground. There was a line of laborers with large stones on their backs shuffling into the tunnel.  
"Stand aside for the prince." She said as she breezed by them. As they passed men returning unburdened she stopped, greeted them by name, and gave them a small bundle of food from Azura's arms. "Our prince appreciates your hard work." She said. They just looked at him astonished as the pair continued on deeper into the tunnel. The dimly lit chamber opened up and Azura stood in amazement at the carvings in the walls forming enormous pictures on the stacked stones. Inakara took the water bags to a large platform and began to climb. At the top she looked down.  
"You aren't afraid of heights, are you?" She asked.  
He was afraid, not only of the height, but of the tenuous nature of the platform. "My hands are full so I cannot climb."  
"Then hand out the rest of the food and come on up. I want to show you something."  
The men cutting and stacking stones were now staring at him. He walked to the closest one and indicated he should take the food since his hands were unable to. The man stepped forward in fear and took a packet then moved away quickly.  
"Thank you for working on my temple." He said, feeling strange repeating Inakara's words of gratitude.  
When his arms were almost empty he put the rest of the food on a stone ledge. He looked at the platform supports, and then up to the smiling girl at the top. "Come on. It is strong enough to hold two men twice your size." He took the first tentative step up, his hands gripping the supports with all of his strength. He felt the tremors and dizziness increase as he climbed, almost overpowering as he reached the top. Then he felt her soft hand on his forearm, guiding it to the place he could pull himself forward.  
He remained on his knees as he tried to regain control. He avoided her eyes, thinking she would see his fear.  
She pointed to a picture carved in the stone. "This is the day you were named and all the people met you and cheered. I was there, but I don't remember it because I was only two. This is me on my father's shoulders." She pointed to one of the tiny figures in the crowd. He could not see it, but nodded and continued looking around, avoiding her gaze.  
She bent down and took his hands and pulled him to stand.  
"What is my name?"  
"Inakara." He said, finally looking her in the eyes, wondering why she was asking.  
"Why do you know my name?" He just shrugged and looked away. "I think I know why."  
"Why?"  
"Because you know who I really am."  
"Huh?"  
Instead of words, she took his face in her hands and kissed him. He took a step back in surprise and found himself teetering on the edge. She grabbed him by the shoulder and laughed.  
"Inakara! You know better than to be up there."  
"I was just bringing fresh water, father." She turned back to Azura. "Have you seen enough of your temple?"  
He was about to respond but felt the platform shake as the big man began climbing.  
"Who the hell is…"  
"Father, this is Azura, Prince of…"  
"I know who he is. It is far too dangerous for him in here." He shook his head, then roughly grabbed the boy and began climbing down. When he set him on the ground, he grumbled in frustration. "My daughter should know better. Run along now before you get hurt." He gently shoved the boy toward the tunnel and Azura ran. "Damn you girl. We'd all get buried in here alive if anything had happened to him."  
"It's safe enough for me." She said, jumping from the last support to the sandy floor with the empty water bags. She brought him the remaining food from where Azura had put it down. "I made extra for you."  
"Give it to the stone carriers." He said, taking one of the small packets and devouring the contents. "Delicious as always, Inakara."  
"Don't tell mother what I did. She'll only worry."  
"I would say never do it again, but I know you won't listen. Run along now."  
She headed out of the tunnel and handed out the remaining food. She looked for the prince as she went back to her table to start making the next batch of food.

"My prince."  
"Inakara."  
"You are checking progress more often now?"  
"I am just on my way to the river."  
"There is a much shorter path from the palace to the river."  
"I felt like taking a longer walk."  
"Oh. I thought maybe you wanted to see me. Don't let me keep you from your longer walk."  
"Would you…"  
"Would I what?"  
"Like to see the river?"  
"I see it many times a day when I fetch water for the laborers."  
"Okay." He slowly turned to walk away.  
She ran to catch up to him. "If you want to help me get water I would appreciate that." She said, handing him empty water bags as she walked by. She picked up several more empty bags and continued on down the hill. "Sorry my dad made you leave the temple."  
"It wasn't safe."  
"But you liked seeing it, right?"  
"Yes, though I couldn't see much."  
"I can take you back with brighter candles."  
"No, I'll wait until it is done."  
They walked in silence until they arrived at the river. There were many people doing various jobs from tool making to laundering clothes. Inakara filled the bags upstream and handed them to Azura, who carried each up the bank and set them on the grass. When they were finished Inakara climbed the bank with the last bag and sat in the grass, laying backward and stretching out.  
Azura looked at her, and then sat down next to her. "What did you mean when you said I know who you are?"  
"What do you think I mean?"  
"I have no idea. That is why I am asking."  
"You have no idea." She repeated. "Who am I, my prince?"  
"Inakara."  
"That is my name, not who I am. Am I just a slave to you?"  
"I know you are not a slave. I just said that to be…"  
"To be what?"  
"I don't know."  
"I do. You like feeling superior to everyone. You said it so I would know I am less than you."  
"I…" She just smiled and waited. "I'm… sorry."  
"Are you?"  
"I think so."  
She sat up and looked at him. "Who am I, Azura?"  
"You are…" She waited, but he had no more words.  
"When you figure it out, let me know." She stood and picked up all the water bags, much more than she could carry, and began a slow burdened walk up the hill. He ran to catch up and began taking some of her burden. She did not stop at her table. She continued on to the temple. He hesitated only a few moments before following her into the tunnel. He stood at the edge of the chamber and watched as she took the bags to the laborers who drank gratefully, not noticing Azura was there. She took the full bags from him and handed him the empty ones.  
He watched her deftly carry the bags up the scaffolding and then climb down after a few words with her father. He followed her back out and she returned to preparing the food packets. He left her there and returned to the palace.

Chapter 4: Searching

"My king, is this temple worth all the effort?" Azura asked.  
"Of course, my son. The gods will smile on all of our people when they see what we have built for them."  
"How do you know what the gods want?"  
"I know what I would want if I was a god."  
Azura was satisfied with that answer. "How did you meet my mother?"  
"Many important men were sent by my father to every corner of our lands to find the most beautiful girl. She was brought here to be my wife."  
"How old were you?"  
"I was in my twentieth year. I became King on my twenty-first birthday, as you will when it is your time. The day after you will be married to your queen as I was to your mother."  
"Will she be the most beautiful, the girl I marry?"  
"Of course."  
"Do you think she lives here in our city?"  
"She has not been born yet. She will be one of next year's children. Messengers have already been sent to the farthest villages to keep special watch for the next Queen."  
It took a few seconds to do the math. "She will be only twelve when we are married?"  
"Yes. You must marry her before she becomes a woman. That way the gods know she is meant only for you."

"The choice is not yours." Dunka said in exasperation.  
"Life is a choice." Inakara said defiantly.  
"Are you saying you would rather die than marry him?"  
"I most certainly will never choose a life as the wife of a slave. It would condemn my children to be slaves."  
"We are all slaves, more or less. There is no escaping that." Inara said.  
"I am not a slave, mother. I will never be a slave. My children will not be slaves!"  
"This is our way. You will do what you are told." Dunka said.  
"I will climb to the top of the temple and throw myself off if you force this on me." She stormed from the hut in defiance.  
"Don't look at me like that." Inara said. "It is you she gets her stubbornness from."  
He grimaced, knowing his wife was correct. "I will tell them the pairing is off."  
"You never should have agreed to it. He is twice her age."  
"She needs to have strong children."  
"He may be strong in arm, but he is weak in the head. Our daughter will need a strong mind to subdue her."  
Dunka doubted there was anyone or anything that would subdue his daughter. He was very proud of that, but did not let it show on his face.

"My king, you called for me?"  
"Yes, my son. It appears the gods favor my joining them earlier than planned. My time on this earth grows short. It is only your fourteenth year, but you must ready yourself to be king."  
Azura looked at his father, feebly saying these words from his ornate bed. Half his face did not move, just drooped in permanent sadness. "I am ready father." He said with more confidence than he felt.  
"We need to find a queen for you."  
"That is not important father. You need to rest."  
"It is most important, son. You need to produce an heir as soon as possible in case the gods call you early as well."  
Azura hoped he would never be called by the gods. He wondered if defying their wishes would be just the thing to delay that day. "I will make the arrangements, father."  
"Unkar will pick the men to send to find her. Trust his wise council as I have."  
Azura did not like the old man who advised his father. This was mostly because his son Jankar was always belittling him when others were not around. Azura was certain Jankar wanted to be the next king. In some ways he would be happy to be free of the burden, but knew Jankar would not allow him to live a comfortable life. His temple would be given a different purpose if he was no longer to be the king.  
"I was thinking I would go in search of a queen myself." Azura said after a little thought.  
"It is not safe to travel."  
It is less safe here, Azura thought. "I will have many men to protect me."  
"My son, it is time you learned the truth." He motioned the boy near. "We are not loved in the far lands. Many talk in defiance against us."  
"They are offered in sacrifice."  
"Only if we discover them. Most know to keep such thoughts to themselves. It is not safe for you to leave the city."  
"I understand, father. Rest now and we will talk more tomorrow."  
"I heard what you suggested, young prince." Unkar said as Azura exited the bed chamber. "I fear we do not have time to send representatives in search of a queen. If you were to go and personally choose one that is acceptable, the arrangements could be made much more quickly."  
And if I were to be killed while searching, you could anoint your son as the new king, Azura thought to himself. There were dangers either way. "Find the most loyal men to guard me in my travels."  
"Yes, my prince." Unkar said, bowing graciously.

"My prince."  
"Inakara."  
"It has been a long time since you have come to see the progress of your temple."  
"I have had more important matters to attend to."  
"I have heard of your father's affliction, I hope he recovers quickly."  
"I will be leaving the city. I have need of someone to help with the preparation of food."  
"There are many in the palace that will be happy to attend to you on your journey."  
She never made things easy for him. "I was thinking you would like the opportunity to do this task for your prince."  
"My obligations are here." She said, knowing that leaving the city would be the best way to avoid the impending arranged marriage. He nodded in acceptance of her refusal. "Of course, my obligations are ultimately to the king, and you, my prince. If you had need to change my obligations, I could not hope to defy your wishes."  
He smiled thinly. "Make preparations then. We will be leaving soon."

"I have made what I can from the available food. I apologize if it is not up to the standards of the palace."  
"It is delicious, as always, Inakara."  
"Thank you, my prince. Is that all you require?"  
"Please have a seat."  
"Yes, my prince." She sat down on the ground at his feet.  
"You think this traveling is a waste of time."  
"I have said no such thing, my prince."  
"I see it in your eyes."  
"My eyes have said no such thing, my prince."  
"Since I met you, you have never held back your opinions. Why do you withhold them now?"  
She looked up and met his eyes. "Am I here for my opinions or my cooking?"  
"I am in need of both at the moment."  
"This search is ridiculous. Beauty does not make a queen. What beauty a twelve year old has does not speak of what kind of woman she will become."  
"She will become what I make her."  
"You know nothing of a woman's mind, do you?"  
"Enlighten me."  
"I fear I will be added to those who are to be sacrificed if I speak my mind in this matter."  
"I have never known you to have any fear. Do not claim such a thing now."  
"I do not fear for myself, my prince. It is my family that concerns me."  
"Inakara." He hesitated, waiting for her eyes to again meet his. "I am not my father. I will not punish you, or your family, for any words you speak. You should know that after all you have said to me in the time we have known each other."  
"Who am I, my prince?"  
"You are… my friend."  
She smiled. "I hope that is true. A woman must hide who she is, what she feels, what she believes. We are superior to the men that control our lives. Only the men that understand this, that allow us to be who we are and help them reach their full potential, will ever be successful."  
"My father has been most successful without the help of any of these 'superior' women."  
"Is he successful? Do people do what he wants out of love? Or do they do it in fear of being sacrificed?"  
"Everyone is motivated by fear." Azura said.  
"No, not everyone. I do what I do only for love."  
"You love the temple?"  
"No. I love the people who build the temple. I would rather be there serving them than here serving you in this vacuous quest for beauty."  
"Who would you choose to be my queen?"  
"Someone who will guide you to make a better world for all the people, not just those chosen few who tell you things you want to hear."  
"Someone like you?"  
"No, not someone 'like' me."  
"Well, if you happen to see someone like that in our travels, be sure to point her out to me."  
"I will, my prince." She got up, bowed, and left his tent.

Chapter 5: Running

"Inakara."  
"Yes, my prince."  
"Where is the river from here?"  
"In that direction." She pointed.  
"Will you show me?"  
"Your guards know the way."  
"I want you to show me, please." He said with irritation.  
"Yes, my prince." She picked up some empty water bags, not wanting to waste the trip. She led the way through the dense jungle. At the river, she knelt and began filling the bags. She turned when she heard the soft sound. He was crying.  
"What is it, my prince?" She asked with genuine concern. She stood and waited for the answer.  
"A runner arrived this morning. My father has died." She instinctively reached for him to comfort him, and the boy crumpled into sobbing as she held him. It was many minutes before he calmed himself. He sniffled on her shoulder, then turned and pulled away.  
"Azura, my prince." She said softly, placing her hand on his shoulder.  
"The weeping king." He said disdainfully at his weakness.  
"This is not a weakness, feeling these emotions. They are your greatest strength if you choose not to bury them."  
"My enemies will see it as such, you can be sure of that."  
"Enemies?"  
"Why else would I need guards?"  
"For the wild animals in the jungle."  
"There is no wilder, more dangerous animal, than a man who sees weakness to be exploited."  
"We are returning to the city?"  
"We have not found a queen."  
"Any girl can produce children. Your people need you."  
"No, they don't. I'm too young for this. All of this."  
His bravado was gone. He was the frightened boy she had always seen in him. "Do you know what is right and what is wrong?" She asked.  
"I thought so. You have often made me question that."  
"Is that why you would check on progress of the temple?"  
"Inakara, you are the only person left that I trust. If I go back, I don't think I will be king. Unkar wants his son to be king. He may already be king now."  
"You think they will sacrifice you?"  
"No, I will just die young before I have a child to inherit the throne. I don't really want it anyway. Whenever I think I know what is the right thing is, you make me doubt it. Then my father would correct me, but it often did not feel right."  
"What would would you prefer to do?"  
"I like this traveling. I like meeting new people, seeing new places."  
"They treat you differently because you are the prince and they fear for their lives. You will not be treated the same if you are not that anymore."  
"How would they treat me?"  
"You have no real skills, so you have no value to them."  
"What skills would I need?"  
"Hunting, gathering, farming, building, cooking, making clothing."  
"I know how to do all those things."  
"You know how, but you have never done any of them yourself." He looked sullen, knowing she was right. "We should get back to camp."  
"Inakara. Who am I?" He asked, finally understanding the question she often asked him.  
"You, Azura, are my prince." She hugged him and lifted the water bags. She led him through the jungle back toward the camp.  
"Something is burning." Inakara said, stopping short.  
"Just the cooking fire."  
"No. That is human flesh burning."  
"How would you know that?"  
"You don't know what they do with the bodies of those who are sacrificed."  
"They are buried in the garden of the gods."  
"Not any more. It takes too much effort to dig graves. This is what it smells like when… get down." Several men came running through the jungle a few dozen yards from them.  
"Did you find him?" They heard a voice say.  
"He was not at the river."  
"Keep searching. The others will help when they are done burning everything."  
Azura looked at Inakara with wide eyes. He knew that voice. It was Jankar. Inakara didn't need to know who to know what was happening. She pointed toward the south and began moving quietly away from both the camp and the river. He stayed close, his adrenalized fear making him shake more and more as he crept. Hours later they arrived at a clearing near a small village. Inakara stayed hidden and watched several children played as women went about the daily life tasks.  
"Should we ask them for help?"  
"It would only get them killed. Better they do not see you. I will go ask for directions."  
"To where?"  
"The city."  
"We cannot go home."  
"I know that. I also already know the way back to the city."  
"You want to mislead anyone asking about us?"  
"Exactly."  
"So where are we really going?"  
"To the south."  
"Just the two of us?"  
"You have someone else you would like to invite?" She asked sarcastically. "Stay here no matter what happens."  
Inakara walked through the jungle until she found the small trail. She gathered small fruits into a woven basket as she went. She used the path to cautiously walk into the village. There were still no men in evidence. Once one of the women noticed her, all were alerted to the stranger.  
"Good afternoon."  
"Who are you?"  
"My name is Gonawal. I am heading toward the city by order of the king."  
"Alone?"  
"I was with a group, but I got lost while collecting several days ago. Has a group come through here?"  
"No, no strangers in many moons. We are not on the main road."  
"How would I find the main road." They all pointed toward the west. "Good, I am headed in the right direction. Do you have any meat you are willing to trade for these? I am a little famished."  
"We have dried river fish. The hunters may return with something fresh if you wish to stay the night."  
"No, I must be on my way if I hope to catch up to my group. They must be terribly worried." She made the exchange and headed off to the west. It was growing dark when she had circled around to the place Azura was hiding. She handed him the fish and he ate it hungrily. She headed southeast to better add distance from the main road. He followed quietly. When it became too dark to see she took his hand and led him slowly.  
"We need to find a place to sleep." He said.  
"This is your bedroom, my prince. Shall I fluff your pillow for you?"  
"Here, in the jungle?"  
"If you wish to live, this is your new home."  
"How do you know where you are going?"  
"My mornings were spent wandering the jungle to find food for the laborers. I can find my way blindfolded just by the smell and feel of the breeze."  
"Ow."  
"What?"  
"I stepped on something sharp."  
"Does it feel sharp when you put your weight on it?"  
"No."  
"Then you'll be fine."  
"How long will we walk?"  
"Forever."  
"I mean tonight."  
"Do you need me to carry you?"  
"No. Why can't you just answer me?"  
"The moon will be up in a while. It is still nearly full so we should be able to see better. The more distance we put between us and them the more likely you will not be tossed onto a pile of burning bodies."  
"Do you think all of them are dead?"  
"The guards and attendants certainly. I think Dizano was a spy for your enemies. He was always watching what was happening for no apparent reason."  
"Unkar insisted he come with to deal with the villagers. The man giving orders this morning was Unkar's son, Jankar. He has always hated me."  
"I bet you hated him more."  
"Yes."  
"Ow."  
"Same foot or other one?"  
"Other."  
"Now the soreness will be even."  
"Why don't you get stabbed by whatever they are?"  
"My feet are tougher because I spend more time on them. Yours will toughen as we go. I hear a small stream." He noticed her slow and then stop. "Get on your knees and feel forward until you feel the water."  
He did so. He was cupping his hand and leaning forward. "Don't drink yet. Feel the stones in the river."  
"What about them?"  
"Are they big or small?"  
"Smaller than my hand, but not pebbles."  
"Are the rough or smooth?"  
"Smooth."  
"Are they clean or slimy?"  
"Clean."  
"What does that tell you?"  
"I don't know?"  
"It tells you if it is safe to drink without boiling."  
"Is it?"  
"Yes."  
He began slurping the cool water. "Aren't you going to drink?"  
"I am, I just can do it without sounding like a pig."  
He tried to do it quietly, but was getting very little water so he went back to the noisy way.  
"Can I have more of the fish?"  
"You ate all of it."  
"You ate yours before you got back to me?"  
"You ate all they gave me."  
"I'm sorry."  
"Are you?"  
"How are we going to get more food?"  
"We'll have to hunt or fish or clear land for a farm."  
"Tomorrow?"  
"Maybe not for weeks."  
"We'll starve!"  
"No, we won't. I've gone more than a moon without food."  
"Really?"  
"Yes. You will get thin, but as long as you drink water you will be fine. The hunger goes away after a few days. There is plenty of fruit to eat so you will not be hungry. I think it will be good if you thin down so you do not look like royalty. If we are to live, we need to disappear."  
"Maybe you should go home without me."  
"No. They know I was with you. It is likely my parents will suffer for my actions, but there is nothing I can do to help them."  
"I'm sorry."  
"Are you?"  
"Yes. I should have left you at home."  
"I'm glad you didn't. Now I get to see the world outside the city. All I have are stories from travelers. Now I get to be one. Can you tell stories?"  
"I don't know."  
"That is how we can be accepted in the villages as we travel. They will usually feed storytellers and expect nothing more from them."  
"What kind of stories?"  
"My favorites are about love and romance. My father liked the ones about surviving great odds against dangerous animals or weather or bad men. The moon is coming up. Can you walk?"  
"Yes." He said more confidently than he felt. A few hours later he was beginning to doze as he walked. "I can't go any farther."  
"Can't or don't want to?"  
"I'm falling asleep as I walk."  
"There is a panther behind you." She said calmly.  
"What?!" he said spinning around in fright.  
"Still feeling sleepy?" She asked with a smile.  
"That was mean." He continued following her, his anger stewing. "What if there really is a panther behind me next time and I don't believe you?"  
"Then you will die without the terror of seeing it before bites down on you. Trust me, if I see a panther behind you, I will be running away as fast as I can, not warning you with useless words."  
"You cannot outrun a panther."  
"I only have to outrun you, my prince."  
They did finally stop near morning. Inakara gathered dozens of large leaves and made a bed on the soft loamy soil. She let Azura collapse in the middle and sat beside him, her hand on his shoulder in reassurance. She watched the world lighten as he slept. It was much like every other jungle she had seen before. She was worried about her parents, but no matter what, it was truly out of her control now. Even if she had been burned alive with the others, once her father began asking questions he would have been sacrificed. She hoped he could forgive her since she defied him in leaving. She felt Azura shiver briefly. She lay down behind him and wrapped an arm around him to share her body heat.  
"Inakara, wake up." She sat up with a start, instantly on guard. "I heard something."  
"What?" She asked after listening to the bright jungle.  
"I don't know." There was a distant boom. "No, not that, it was louder and closer."  
She gave up listening after a few minutes. "Are you ready to walk?"  
"I'm hungry."  
"Me too." She stood and stretched. She moved a few steps into the brush and squatted to relieve herself.  
"Which way is south?" He asked, trying to orient himself.  
She led him to a narrow tree. "Feel all the sides of this tree. Do you notice a difference?"  
"No." He said after a feeling all sides.  
"This side is smoother, that side is rougher. Smooth is south."  
"I still don't feel a difference. Is it all trees?"  
"Most, but don't trust just one. Check many as you walk."  
"That's what you were doing as we walked last night."  
"Yes."  
"How do you know so much?"  
"I live in the jungle, not a palace." She started out, pulling an occasional fruit off a bush and chewing it as she walked. Azura watched her and did the same.  
"These don't taste very good."  
"They are better cooked. They are also better than nothing."  
"I'm not sure about that." He spit out some seeds. "You were talking in your sleep."  
"What did I say?"  
"It was words I didn't understand."  
"Do you remember any of them?"  
"No. It was gibberish."  
"Maybe it was my language in a previous life."  
"Previous life?"  
"I sometimes have dreams that I am someone else living in another place. Sometimes it is in caves, so I assume it is in the past. Sometimes I'm a bird flying high up in the air."  
"I never remember my dreams."  
"That's too bad."  
"No. I know they are usually scary, I just don't remember them after I wake up cry… scared."  
"I bet if you remembered them they wouldn't be as scary. I had a dream about you that was really scary at first, then I understood it."  
"What was it?"  
"You were at the top of your temple you asked me lay down on the alter and you took a knife and cut out my heart and showed it to me."  
"How can that be anything but scary?"  
"Dreams are not meant to be taken literally. It is all symbols and hidden messages."  
He thought about that, not really knowing what the word 'literally' meant, but didn't want to ask.  
"Are we going to walk all night again?"  
"Not if we reach the ocean first."  
"Ocean? We are that close?"  
"I think so."  
"Do the trees or rocks feel different?"  
"No. I have seen a few birds that live mostly by the ocean."  
"I'm too busy looking at the ground so I don't step on sharp things. Will we go fishing?"  
"I don't know how."  
"There is something you don't know. I was beginning to wonder about that."  
"I learned what I had to in order to stay alive. Walk in the wrong direction in the jungle and you are lost forever. Drink the wrong water and you get sick and die."  
"I wish I had spent more time learning this. My father was too afraid of something happening to me because I am the only son."  
"You have sisters?"  
"Three. My father was disappointed in my mother for that. He said she died of shame."  
Inakara wondered if she had help in dying, but did not say anything. "I wish I had met your sisters."  
"Why?"  
"I'm not sure. I guess I wonder how much they are like you. I am very different from my brother and sisters."  
"Are you oldest?"  
He waited for an answer, but she said nothing. Eventually she stopped and looked at him. "Do you hear it?"  
"What?" he asked, looking around with concern.  
"It is like a waterfall but it comes and goes. I bet that is the ocean."  
"I don't hear anything." She resumed walking and in minutes he could hear it. She began running and they burst out into the bright sunshine. It was a wide sand beach tapering gently down to an endless expanse of deep blue.  
"It has no end." He said, stunned at the vastness of it. She ran across the sand until her feet splashed into the cool water. Azura splashed in next to her and knelt down. He took a mouth full of water and spit it out immediately. She laughed.  
"All that water and none of it drinkable." Inakara said.  
"Why?"  
"Only the gods know. Do you know how to swim?"  
"Of course."  
"It is more dangerous in the ocean. You can be pulled out even if you are a strong swimmer."  
"Do you think there is any food close by?"  
"Probably a lot right there in the water. Maybe we will meet some people in the south that will show us how to catch the fish."  
"When?"  
"I don't know."  
"The further away, the safer we will be. But they may have already spread the word that we are dangerous and they need to hold us or take us to the city. They probably have been offered a large reward. It may not be safe to trust anyone."  
"Ever?"  
"I don't know. The further, the safer. We should start walking again."  
"We can run here."  
"We could. I don't need to feel the trees to know which direction we are going."  
"I can never go back, can I?"  
"You can, but you probably will not survive. I am not going back. I can pretend that my family is safe. I never want to know the truth if I caused them to be sacrificed."  
"It would be my fault, not yours."  
"It was my decision to go with you."  
They ran short distances and walked the rest of the way. They were short on energy from the lack of food and sleep. The sun set behind the dense jungle leaving them in nothing but starlight. The constant wash of ocean waves accompanied them. They sat and waited for the moon to give them better light. Azura dozed on the soft sand while they waited.  
"You like this adventure, don't you." Azura said as he walked beside her in the morning light.  
"I have dreamed of it my entire life."  
"Actual dreams or just something you wanted."  
"Both. Not that I didn't enjoy working on your temple, but a life of hard labor never seemed like my destiny. I like seeing new places."  
"It all looks the same. The jungle doesn't change. The ocean doesn't change. I miss people."  
"You miss servants cooking for you."  
"I do. I really do. I really miss your cooking."  
"Catch one of those fat birds and I will cook you a feast."  
He looked at them as they walked by, knowing he could get nowhere near one before it flew away.  
They crossed several small rivers, drinking the fresh water as they went. As the sun began falling again, Inakara noticed something different about the sand. She stopped and looked around.  
"What?"  
"Footprints. People live near here."  
"Maybe they are from a long time ago."  
"I don't think so. I'll try and find them. You stay here."  
"It isn't safe… for you to go alone."  
"It is safer for you." She moved to enter the dense jungle. He grabbed her arm.  
"I am dead here without you. I would rather go with you and face whatever waits for us."  
She thought about, then shrugged, and he followed her in.  
It was dark when they first smelled the cooking fire. There were a dozen people sitting around the fire talking with purpose and laughter.  
"Can you here what they are saying?" Azura asked.  
"They are telling stories."  
"That food smells good."  
"Do you want it to be your last meal?" She thought about the best approach. Darkness was not her friend in this matter. They needed to wait until daytime to approach, and hopefully approach when the men had left to hunt. She was about to head back toward the beach.  
"Ow!" Azura shouted. "Something bit my leg."  
Inakara saw many of the people jump up and head in their direction. Fight or flight. Her nature was not to run even though that was likely the safest. If Azura was bitten by a snake, she would be on her own anyway, so better to leave him behind. Instead, she stood and walked forward her hands out to the sides to show that she was harmless.  
"Greetings people of the Great Ocean. I am Inakara of the Great City. My… husband and I are on a long journey to see the extent of this vast land."  
"Tell your husband to show himself."  
"Azura, come out with your hands forward."  
"I can't. I cant move my leg."  
She ran back, grabbed his arms and dragged him into the open. There wasn't enough light, so she felt his leg. She found a large welt. Suddenly she could see as a man carrying a torch came over to them.  
"It is the Yellow snake." The man pronounced. A woman ran forward with a knife and before Inakara could protest, she was cutting open the wound and sucking out the blood, spitting it on the ground immediately. She repeated this a dozen times. Another younger woman brought her a something to drink and she drank and spit many times. Inakara just watched, helplessly. Azura began shaking and moaning with pain.  
"He should live, but maybe wish he didn't." The woman said. "The pain is often unbearable, but I think I got most of the venom out."  
"Why are you walking around in the darkness?" A man asked pointedly.  
"We are lost." Inakara said, watching the torture build on Azura's face. If it had been her alone, she likely would have stayed quiet, and maybe even headed back toward the beach before she was discovered. She would be dying. Azura would be alone on the beach never knowing what happened to her. He would be hopeless on his own, but not much better with her. She had been bitten by several snakes. It was a normal part of life in the jungle. She knew no cure. You either died or you didn't. Azura began screaming and all she could do was hold him. His body went limp and he quieted and she was certain he was dead. The tears came and she sobbed, clinging tightly to the lifeless body.  
They eventually pulled her away from him. The two women stripped his clothing off and began to bathe him. This must be their funeral rights, Inakara thought distantly. The dream had come true, but in a far different manner than she expected.  
Inakara looked longingly at the jungle, wondering if she could find the snake and her own departure from this world.  
"You said you are from the Great City?"  
"Yes."  
"And you are on a journey?"  
"Yes."  
"Why?"  
"To see places we have not seen."  
"Why?"  
She looked at the man. He genuinely did not understand why. "It is a long story." He smiled, hoping it was an entertaining one. This was a good sign. No one had warned these people to look for the two of them. That could simply mean the bad men were only a few days behind them. Walking the beach had certainly been faster than the jungle.  
"We have never met anyone from the city. Some have brought second hand tales, but it is so far away and we are far from the main path."  
"Will you bury him?" She asked.  
"He is not dead. He is only sleeping. The poison is bad. He is lucky to be sleeping through the worst of it. You are young to be wed. He is very young."  
She thought about telling the truth, but that would only breed mistrust. A better story would have been if he was her brother, but it was too late for that. She began inventing a story that could make sense of all this and possibly entertain them enough to help them.  
They moved Azura to the fire and left him uncovered. Several of the group began a low chant.  
"Tell us your story."  
She wasn't ready, but she had little choice.

Chapter 6: Serpent

"Where am I?" Azura said in the darkness.  
"You are safe."  
"Inakara?"  
"Who else would it be?"  
"I had a terrible dream."  
"If it involved a snake, it wasn't a dream."  
"I was on the ocean and a huge storm blew in without warning. I couldn't save you."  
"We were swimming?"  
"No, it was something that floated on the water. Like a raft, but very strange."  
"Why did you have to save me?"  
"You couldn't swim as long once we were in the water."  
"Did I drown?"  
"No, but you were cold when I pulled you onto the beach. I asked the strange animal with the long neck for help, but he just shook his head."  
"I thought you didn't remember your dreams?"  
"I remember when I wake up, but not for long. It just happened. So the snake wasn't poisonous?"  
"Very poisonous, but their healer saved your life."  
"Do they know who I am?"  
"No, and they should never know." She filled him in on the story she had told.  
"A singer? I can't pretend to be that."  
"I didn't have time to think of a perfect story. Just pretend you have a problem with your throat because of the snake. We'll leave before it becomes an issue."  
"I don't feel hungry anymore. Did I eat?"  
"No. You are past the hunger now."  
"Did you eat?"  
"Yes. I can get you some in the morning."  
"Are they nice?"  
"They saved your life."  
"Can we stay with them?"  
"I don't think we should."  
"Why not?"  
She took a deep breath and sighed. "Distance is safety. We may never be far enough away. I am almost certain we are not far enough yet."  
"It is too dangerous on our own."  
"That is obvious. We have few good options. We can stay here and wait for bad men to show up, or we can keep moving and stay ahead of them. What is your choice, my prince?"  
He smiled in the darkness. It had been a while since she had called him that. "Inakara."  
"Yes?"  
"Did you know your name means night wind?"  
"No. Does it really?"  
"That is what the schoolmaster told me."  
"I thought it was just a variation of my mother's name."  
"That day, when you made me climb the scaffolding?"  
"Yes?"  
"I was so scared. I had never been so scared in all my life."  
"Your father had made you believe it wasn't safe."  
"I wasn't scared of the height, or the way it shook. I was, but that isn't what was terrifying."  
"What was it, then?" She asked, knowing the answer already.  
"I was afraid you would find out what a coward I was."  
"A coward never would have climbed, my prince." He felt her hand touch his cheek gently.  
"Let's continue south." He said after a long silence.  
"Why?"  
"You think we should stay?"  
"No. I just want to know why you want to go."  
"Does it matter?"  
"Yes."  
"Why?"  
"If you are just doing it for me, or just doing it so I won't think you are afraid, then you need a better reason."  
"All those people, those servants, died because of me. They died because of who I am. You would have too. I don't want anyone else to die because of me. I think I should just get as far away from everyone as possible."  
"Including me?"  
"You can stay here, it would probably be safer."  
"No, I can't."  
"Why?"  
"Because you are my prince. Wherever you go, I go."  
"Even if you die?"  
"I will die. We all will. The difference is what we do before that happens. Let's do as much as we can before that."  
"Do you think death is the end?"  
"No. Some of my dreams are from past lifetimes. I think we just keep coming back over and over."  
"Forever?"  
"Probably."  
"What if… we don't?"  
"Then we won't know it."  
"What if we do know it, What if we just stop moving and they put us in the garden of the gods and we just stay there in the darkness and can't breathe and…" He stopped when he felt her lips on his. It was brief and chaste, just like the one on the scaffolding. "Why did you do that?"  
"A reward for facing your fears."

(Learning some survival skills - fishing?)  
(Running when a spy comes to village in search?)

"If I never see another mountain I will be happy." Azura said, sitting down on a small flat rock.  
"See or climb?"  
"Either. My legs are killing me."  
"It will get easier eventually, unless you want to stay here in this valley forever."  
"Could we?"  
"Start a village with just the two of us?"  
"I don't know. How does a village get started?" He asked after some ineffective thought on the matter.  
"I imagine it gets too crowded and some decide to move elsewhere. If we are to settle down, I think it would be better to be closer to the sea so we can get fish."  
"I was so sick of fish. If that man hadn't shown up, I would have wanted to leave anyway."  
"Fish are better than starving."  
"I'd be happy just eating fruit the rest of my life. Not this tough flavorless stuff here."  
"I'll send some servants to get you some sweet fruit right away, my prince."  
"Do you think we are far enough south yet?"  
"No."  
"More mountains to cross?"  
"Lots of them."  
"I guess we should keep going then." He stood stiffly, stretched and shook his legs.  
They followed the narrow path through the brush. It was well trodden even though they had seen no other people for days. When they broke out of the jungle at an overlook, they scanned the distant greenery for telltale fires. Inakara was unsure if she would head toward or away from any fires they saw, but there were none in view.  
She knew there were people south, a lot of them. There had been many wars with the southern people's, though not in her lifetime. The stories painted them as evil monsters, sneaking into homes in the dark of night and stealing children. She wasn't sure she believed it. Her mother told her it was just things children said to scare other children. Regardless, they were no more dangerous than the evil men from the Great City that were pursuing Azura and her.  
Azura slowed as the path steepened upward, and he lost her from sight. He fought back the panic he felt whenever she was not near, whenever he felt alone. He sped up, feeling his legs, and then his lungs burning. "Inakara!" he yelled finally when he ran out of energy.  
She came running back down the path with concern. "What is it?"  
"I can't keep up with you."  
"You don't need to. Just follow the path. If it ends or splits, I will wait for you to catch up. I need to find water and a place to stop for the night." She could tell he was not happy with this. "What's wrong?"  
"I'm afraid." He finally said, looking away in shame. She smiled. She stepped forward and hugged him, holding him in reassurance that she would not leave him.  
She pulled away finally. "I'm not going to kiss you every time you confront your fear." He looked confused. She leaned in and kissed him. "I will never leave you, my prince. Even when I am out of sight, I will always be with you."  
She walked with him for a while, but the sun was beginning to fall. She had to scout ahead.  
"I need you to be brave for a little while." He nodded. "Just walk at a comfortable pace and I will be just ahead of you. Yell if you need me." He nodded, hoping she would never be out of hearing distance. She walked quickly out of sight. He felt the fear, but focused on the path just ahead. The path crested, but there was nothing to see beyond the dense foliage next to the path. He quickened his pace to gain on Inakara, even though she had also sped up. He smelled smoke and began to worry. He broke into a clearing and he saw Inakara feeding dry material into a smoky fire. It was a well used campsite next to a stream.  
"Do you know about the Southern people?" Inkara asked after she had prepared a meal for them in silence.  
"The Incasi?" She nodded "I know everything about them."  
"Have you ever met one?"  
"No. Why?"  
"I was wondering if they look like us and speak the same way."  
"They do look like us, but wear different clothing and ornamentation. The language is very different."  
"Do you know any of it?"  
"No." He finally realized why she was asking. "You think they are dangerous?"  
"Of course they are dangerous. All people are dangerous. The last war was a long time ago, but if we remember, you know they do."  
"We should avoid them then."  
"What if we can't?" She asked.  
"Then we will show them that we are the better people." Azura said, repeating a statement of bravado his father had used often enough. Inakara just looked at him with pity. "I mean… we'll avoid them. How close to them do you think we are?"  
"I have no idea. Maybe settling here is a good idea."  
"It is a nice campsite."  
"Not here on the main path. We would need to go east or west toward the water."  
He looked both ways. "It is mountains either way. I guess it doesn't matter. I'm tired of walking." He laid down on the ground next to the low fire and curled up. Inakara covered him with the small blanket she carried for that purpose. She collected more dead fall and fed the fire a little bit at a time as the sun set and the stars filled the sky. She curled up behind him, put her arm around him, and went to sleep herself when the moon had moved halfway across the sky.

Chapter 7: Taloki

"These mountains are smaller." Azura said.  
"No, they just seem that way because your legs are stronger. You are also carrying much less weight than when we started."  
"I am a lot thinner now. Must be all that fish I ate. Makes me skinny like a fish. Father said you look like your favorite food. His favorite was pig, so he was big and fat."  
"My favorite is maize meat cakes."  
"Maize is tall and thin like you. I miss all the good food you used to cook."  
"Me too, but I don't miss the smell."  
"Of cooking?"  
"No, the smell of people. When many people live so close together, the smell can be horrible, especially in the hot season."  
"I don't miss that at all. When I used to come to the temple, it was so disgusting."  
"But you did it very often."  
"To see… the progress."  
"You came to see me."  
"Not always… you knew, didn't you?"  
"I'm surprised you didn't think of that horrible smell every time you thought of me."  
"I always thought of the flower you wore in your hair. It was different every time I saw you. I would go back to the palace and ask for some of whatever flower you had. I would sit and smell them while looking down on the city. I couldn't see you from my balcony, but I knew you were there.  
"Who am I?"  
"You were fearless. You were smart. You were friendly and helpful and… You weren't afraid to talk to me. All my teachers would talk down to me. All the other children avoided me. The day I came to the building site, I was just bored. You were… interesting."  
"Glad I could entertain you, my prince."  
"I'm no longer the prince. Jankar is the King now." Azura said sadly.  
"It doesn't matter what they have stolen. You will always be my prince. We will start a new kingdom. You will rule as you were raised to do, and I will serve as I was raised to do."  
"A kingdom of two."  
"We'll find you a beautiful wife and you will fill your kingdom with many children."  
"Beautiful wife." He repeated. "What a foolish pursuit. I should have stayed at my father's side."  
"They could have killed you just as easily there." He nodded. "Perhaps one day your kingdom will march north and make them pay for what they have done." Azura looked up and saw anger in her eyes. "I don't want to think about it, but I am certain they sacrificed my parents because of me."  
He wanted to disagree, to give her hope, but he knew his sisters were probably just as dead. They haunted his dreams. "Let's never stop walking away from those evil men. Let's go to the end of the land."  
"Do you know how far that is?" She asked.  
"The people from the south say their land never ends. It goes on forever, but is guarded by the gods. Those who go too far into the land of the gods never return."  
"You want to go to where there is no return?"  
"I want to go and tell the gods that they were wrong to take my father from this world before I was of age."  
"Somehow I don't think they would appreciate the criticism."  
"What would you say to them?"  
"I would ask why they want all of the sacrifices?"  
"That is the way it has always been."  
"Did they actually ask for it? Did someone actually talk to the gods?"  
Azura thought about it. "My father used to say that it is what he would want if he were a god."  
"He would want to cut open good people for no good reason?"  
"They weren't good people."  
"Did you know any of them?" Azura was silent. "I did. One simple mistake is all it took. Walk too slowly with a load of stone on your back and the slave master would mark you for sacrifice. I saw a man taken away because he sneezed. There was…" Inakara stopped. "Do you hear that?"  
"No, what?"  
"Someone is yelling. Very far away. It is echoing off the mountain."  
"Which direction?"  
"I can't tell." She pointed toward the mountain, but knew that was just a reflection.  
"Let's head down the trail and see if we can find him." Azura said. It was a long walk before Azura finally heard the voice. "I hear it. I think it is that way." He pointed off the trail back in the direction they had come from.  
"I think we should just keep going until we don't hear it anymore." Inakara said.  
"What if he needs help?"  
"What if it is a trap?"  
"He sounds like he is in trouble." Azura said.  
"He sounds like a man. We have no way to defend ourselves."  
"I'm going. You can stay here, or continue up the trail."  
Inakara thought about it, looking down the trail. "No, I'll go with you." She had heard the voice the whole time. It grew weaker as they approached it and walked by. She hoped Azura would never hear it. She lead the way back up the path, and then walked into the dense jungle when it seemed they were closest to the voice. They emerged into a clearing with an acrid smell. The voice was almost gone.  
"There he is." Azura said, rushing forward. Inakara grabbed him and stopped him. The man was up to his shoulders in the bog. He was still, the only thing that kept him from sinking further. "Let me go!" He said, pulling against her.  
"You want to die with him?" She snapped.  
The man turned and looked at them. "Help me! Please help me!" He shouted in words they didn't understand, yet understood completely. Inakara held up both hands to indicate he should stop moving.  
"We need to find some long, strong vines." She pulled Azura back from the edge and they disappeared back into the jungle. They heard him shout more similar words. They found some vines and Inakara deftly climbed the tree and cut the vine high in the branches. Azura helped her gather it and they carried it back to the swamp. The man stopped shouting through his desperate tears.  
Inakara used a big stick to poke at the edge and they made their way around the edge to a closer point. She tossed the coiled vine out, but it fell short. She pulled it back then tried again. It wasn't long enough. She moved around the edge again, but got further away from him. She went back.  
"We need to find a longer vine." Azura said.  
"No. We just need a second one. Stay here." She returned a few minutes later. She looped the shorter one around herself and handed him the ends.  
"What are you doing?"  
"I'm going in part way to him. Once he has the vine, you pull me while I pull him."  
"I should be the one to go in."  
"I need you here because you are stronger." She lied. She coiled up the long one and stepped tentatively into the nasty wet muck. When she was to her knees she had trouble moving forward. She tossed the vine, but it still fell short. She slowly moved forward and suddenly it dropped off. She was up to her hips. Inakara panicked and tried to go back. She couldn't move back. "Pull me back a little." She yelled. She felt the vine tighten around her chest, but she didn't move. He wasn't strong enough. The panic rose even higher as she felt herself slowly sinking.  
The man held out his hands, hoping she would throw the vine. He was strong, but all he would accomplish was pulling her in deeper. "Azura, stop pulling." He did after a few more desperate tugs. "Let go of one end and drag the other back to that tree." He did and the loose end slid into the bog toward her. This had to work or she would die here. "Wrap it around the trunk twice and pull it tight." She grabbed her wet vine and pulled. Even she wasn't strong enough to pull herself free. She was dead. She looked back at the man, up to his neck now. He had the strength, but nothing to pull against.  
"Should I get another vine?" Azura asked.  
"No. No matter what happens, do not let go." She was out of options. She wound the long vine up and threw it to the man. He grabbed desperately for it, sliding deeper. She knew as soon as he got it he would pull with all his strength and she would not be able to hold on. She couldn't tell him to wait because they did not share a language. She quickly looped both vines around her shoulders twice and held them tight.  
She screamed at the crushing force of the pull. He did not stop. He was a drowning man and this was his only escape. He pulled and her arms burned and she thought the bones would break. He was moving so slowly toward her, she wasn't going to be able hold on long enough. She felt the dizziness. If she passed out, she would let go and they were both dead. She turned her scream into rage and twisted her body. Suddenly the pressure lessened.  
She thought Azura had let go. He was still at the end of the taught line. She looked at the man. He was now moving fast toward her. His body was out of the mud and dragging behind him on the surface. He reached her and pulled past her using the shorter vine. Was he going to leave her there? He was almost out of reach. She tried to grab his foot, but it was too slippery.  
He had seen where she had dropped off. He got past that point and kicked his legs downward. He stood up with elation and turned toward her with a big smile. With both hands he pulled the short vine upward. She felt the crush again as it spun her, unwinding the vine. He stopped, took two tentative steps back and reach out his hand, his other firmly on the short vine. She reached out and felt his crushing grip on her wrist. With almost gentle pressure he pulled slowly. He stepped his feet and said some words. She finally realized he wanted her to kick her legs. She did, and soon she was moving upward. Suddenly she was free from the suction and over his shoulder as he resumed his walk to the edge. He set her down gently on the dry ground and an endless string of words came forth. She assumed it was gratitude.

The three walked back to the main path and the man pointed North. Inakara shook her head and pointed South. He shook his head emphatically and pointed North again. He waved that they should follow him.  
"He wants us to go North with him." Azura said.  
"I know. Do you really want to climb that hill again?"  
"No. Do you think we could learn his language?"  
"Maybe, but it would take a very long time. Maybe so long we will have walked all the way home before we know why he wants to go that way. He doesn't know the danger we face up there."  
The man looked at them pleading to follow. Then he held his hands over his head like a roof.  
"Maybe he has a hut nearby." Azura said.  
"I need a river to wash off in. That is more likely at the bottom of this hill." She had already pulled off the leaches, but she needed to wash the muck off of her.  
Azura stepped up. He pointed North, then put his hands close together, then wide apart. The man didn't understand the question. Azura repeated it, adding steps to indicate he wanted to know if it was a short or long walk. The man brightened and indicated a short walk.  
"Let's go with him a short way." Azura said.  
"I need to wash." She repeated.  
"Maybe he has a place? If he has a hut, he probably has a water source. He owes us his life."  
"Or he wants to kill us and eat us so we don't tell anyone that he had to be saved by children." Azura just looked at her. "Fine." The man was thrilled when they began walking North. He lead them with excitement, stepping off the trail about a third of the way back up the hill. They followed him into the dark, dense foliage. Inakara was about to say she was going to turn around and head back before they became lost, but the jungle began to lighten. She heard the sound of splashing water. It was not intermittent like the ocean. It was a waterfall. They broke into sunshine at the edge of a shallow canyon. He led them up the hill and they saw his small lean-to home.  
"Some hut. It barely covers him."  
"He can build another one for us."  
"If we were staying."  
"Why wouldn't we? This place is nice. I doubt anyone would find us here. We can stop walking and rest."  
Inakara looked at the man pulling at his stored supplies. He presented them with what looked like dried meat wrapped in big green leaves. Azura took it without hesitation. Before she could say wait, he had taken a big bite.  
"What if that was his last guest?"  
Azura stopped chewing, then shrugged. "If so, he is delicious." She shook her head. She looked down at the small pool of water at the bottom of the falls. The man noticed this, and waved for her to follow further up the hill. At the top was a small pond. The man turned around and headed back to his camp. She put down her pack and walked in with her clothes on, since they were just as dirty as she was. She pulled them off and used them to rub against her body. She tossed them onto the shore and went for a swim in the refreshingly cool water. She was floating on her back, soaking up the sun when she heard the man returning. She watched him strip down and dive into the water. When he swam to the far end, she walked out of the water, gathered her clothes and headed back down to camp, wringing the water out as she walked.  
"You really should have some of this meat, it is really good."  
"Don't eat all his food."  
"He gave it to me. We saved his life."  
"No point in saving it if you cause him to starve. There is a pond up the hill if you want to swim."  
"No." He said before taking another big bite of the meat. She looked around, trying to get a clue as to who the man was and why he was living alone.

"Taloki." He said, hand on his chest.  
"Inakara." She said, finally exchanging names with the stranger. She pointed and said "Azura."  
He repeated their names several times. Then he got down on his knees and bowed to them.  
"Does he know my name? Does he know I am the Prince?" Azura asked.  
"I think he is just showing his gratitude for saving him."  
"You saved him. I just stood there."  
"If you hadn't stood there, you would be alone now. You were the most important part of the rescue."  
"You don't have to do that."  
"What?"  
"Say things to make me feel better about myself. If I had gone into that water, we would all be dead because you would have come in to save me."  
"Exactly why you were most important." He nodded, knowing she wasn't going to accept her savior role. "Why is he alone?"  
"Maybe he likes it." Azura said.  
She tapped the bowing man. She began making gestures in an attempt to communicate. Before dark they had added a few common words. He insisted they sleep under the lean-to on the comfortable bedding. Inakara did not sleep well, the mysteries of this man weighed heavily on her mind.  
Taloki was not there when they woke. "Do you want to swim?" Azura asked. She knew he didn't want to go alone. She nodded and they walked up to the pond. When they returned, Taloki was cooking a small pig over the fire. Even Inakara could not resist the delicious aromas that were emanating from it. Even in the city, meat like this was an extreme rarity for the poor laborers. They made some more common words, adding a few verbs to the mix. By nightfall they were talking in stilted sentences, heavily dependent on hand gestures.  
"My people South. My people bad to me. My people want kill. I run. I stay here."  
"Why in bog?"  
"Chase pig. Lose. Jaguar chase me. Not know of place with sinking mud."  
"Jaguars?" Azura asked with fear.  
"Many bad things in jungle. Jaguar not worst."  
"Snakes." Inakara said, saying the word and weaving her arm to indicate what it meant.  
"Snake bad. Men worse. No men come here long time."  
"How long you here?" Inakara asked.  
"Very many." She held up both hands, asking if it was more than ten. He just shrugged. She guessed he didn't know counting words. "You stay here. Safe here."  
"No, we go south." She said.  
"No. Very bad men. Will kill you."  
"Bad men in North look for us. Look for us to kill us."  
"You stay here. You safe here."  
"I think we should." Azura said.  
"We are too close to the road. Anyone walking by will smell the smoke."  
"We passed no one on the road. No one comes this way."  
"If that were true, there would be no path."  
"Can we stay just one moon?" He asked.  
"For what?" Azura thought about what she would accept.  
"If we learn his language better, we could pass for southerners."  
"It would take years to speak that well." She said. "But you are right. Knowing the language would be very useful if we meet anyone. One moon, maybe less. Learn all you can."  
Taloki understood very little of what they were saying since they talked fast and made no effort to mime the meanings of their words. He waited patiently for them to finish their conversation.  
"Roof." Inakara said, pointing at the lean-to.  
"Yes, you stay under roof."  
"Make another roof for Azura?" He shook his head. "Show us how?" It took some time to get that point across, then he nodded excitedly. They spent the following days learning words, learning skills, learning about each other's lives.

It was three moons later when they decided to leave. They had been hunting near the path when a group of six men came from the north. They wore the clothing of the royal guard. Men like that should have been dedicated to protecting the life of Azura. Inakara was certain their task was exactly the opposite. They served a different master now.  
"It is too dangerous to follow them." Azura said.  
"Then you stay here with Taloki." She was hurt when she saw that Azura was going to choose to stay. She turned her back and began packing up what she would need.  
"You're really going?" He finally asked.  
"We have been here too long. We were only going to stay one moon. We know as much of his language as he does. Seeing those men was a sign that this isn't over. I need to know what they are doing.  
"Where Inakara go?" Taloki asked.  
"I need to follow those men."  
"I go also. If bad men, I protect Inakara."  
"You stay here, protect Azura."  
"He not go?"  
"He think safer here."  
"Always safer near Inakara. He know this." Taloki went to his shelter and began packing his things.  
Azura was afraid of leaving this safe place. He remembered the feeling of walking the unknown path. He knew he would hate this place alone more than walking the unknown road. "Fine." He said, pulling out his pack and pushing his necessities into it.  
They walked the path carefully for two days before they caught up to the men. They watched them sitting and talking around a small campfire until they went to sleep. One stayed up and kept watch. The three made their own camp without a fire further back down the path.  
"We need to get closer to hear them." Azura said.  
"Too dangerous. Get some sleep." Inakara said. She didn't sleep for a long while. She missed the relative security of Taloki's shelter.  
When she woke in the morning, Taloki was gone. Inakara panicked, thinking he had been taken by the men. That made no sense, and she calmed down. She shook Azura awake and rushed him to get ready to walk. They crept back toward the camp. Taloki was sitting with the six men talking. He knew very few of the Northerners words, but they were patient with his hand gestures.  
Was he selling them out? She wanted to get close to hear what was being said.  
"Is he with them?" Azura asked.  
"No. They wouldn't have missed his place in the jungle if he sent for them." Inakara said after some thought. "I think he is just trying to get information. They are doing the same."  
They watched for a while and then two of the men got up and casually walked behind Taloki. Then they jumped on him, each grabbing one of the big arms. Taloki roared and twisted and rolled. The other four were up and on top of him, trying to hold him down. Inakara watched in horror as Azura burst from their hiding place and ran forward with his spear. Two men had mortal wounds in their backs before they even knew he was there. Inakara ran forward and pushed her stone knife into the neck of a third man, but was thrown back as he whirled to stop her. He jumped on top of her and his clenched fist was pulling back to strike her as his bloody neck wound rained down on her. She put her hands up in weak defense and closed her eyes.  
Suddenly the weight of the man disappeared and she was free to get up. She sat up and saw Azura without his spear, struggling with a larger man and trying to stay on his feet. Taloki had rolled on top of one man and was punching his face. The other that had grabbed him was laying unconscious a few feet away. She looked for her knife, but saw Azura's spear first since it was in the man that had been on top of her. She pulled it out with difficulty, and then turned. Her impulse was to run the man through before he could hurt Azura. Instead, she poked him in the side and yelled for him to stop.  
He looked her way, then at all the others that were no longer in the fight. Azura took his hesitation to kick him hard and push away. Taloki stood once his final combatant was no longer in any condition to fight.  
"I kill him, Inakara." Taloki said, stepping forward.  
"Wait, we need information. Just hold him." He tried to evade Taloki, but Azura helped corral him and they brought him to his knees. "Who are you?"  
"I am Jinga of the royal guard. You will be executed for your crimes today."  
"You attacked our friend. That is the only crime we care about here so far from the Great City. Why are you here, Jinga of the royal guard, so far from the Great City? Isn't your place with the king?"  
"He sent us on this mission."  
"What mission is that?" The man just glared at her. "Were you royal guard to King Balora?"  
"No. I serve King Jankar."  
"How did he become king instead of King Balora's rightful heir?"  
"The prince ran away like a coward." Azura reacted to that by twisting the man's arm to the breaking point. He screamed in pain and fell on face. Taloki kicked him to roll him on his back and stood on the arm that wasn't broken. Jinga whimpered in pain.  
"Is that your mission, to find the coward?" Inakara asked. Again, the insolent glare. "That coward faced three of you by himself and you are all on the ground now." He looked up at Azura with a mixture of emotions. He had succeeded in his mission of finding the boy. He had failed to kill him.  
"Many more will be sent. You will die, coward."  
"Why is it important to kill him, unless it is known that Azura is the rightful king?" He didn't answer. She put the spear tip into his throat. "How far to the South were you to search?"  
He didn't answer until the pressure of the spear tip punctured the skin. "To the end of the land!"  
She knew this wasn't true, but she had no way to get the truth from him. Azura spoke up. "The other one is waking up. We can get the answer from him."  
Inakara looked down at the man, now realizing his death was imminent. "Wait, wait! I'll tell you. Let me live and I will report back that my mission was successful. Otherwise they will send more men."  
"How would you prove you were successful?"  
"The king trusts my word."  
She knew this wasn't true, but pretended to accept it. She knew the proof was likely Azura's severed head. "How far South were you to go?"  
"The golden mountains."  
"Those don't exist." Azura said.  
"How were you told to recognize them?" Inakara asked.  
"They have golden trees." He said with a whimper.  
"Yellow?"  
"Probably. I don't know. The king said that is where the South people live. If we went past the golden mountains we would not survive, so neither would the Prince."  
"Don't you mean the coward?" Azura kicked him hard.  
"I'm sorry. I didn't… know."  
"Tell the gods what you now know, Prince Azura is no coward, Jinga of the royal guard." Inakara said, thrusting the spear into his throat. His eyes went wide and he thrashed and gurgled for minutes until his life left him.  
"Should we finish the rest?"  
"Let's see if his story matches the others'."  
Three never woke. The other two told similar stories, and gave more detailed accounts of their journey thus far. Taloki dragged the bodies far into the jungle.  
"Should we go back to Taloki's shelter?" Azura asked hopefully.  
"Yes." Inakara said, surprising him. "But only until we are ready to find these golden mountains. We need shelter while we travel. The rains should be coming soon."  
As if spoken into existence, the light drizzle started just after the got back to the shelter. It did not let up for almost two moons, often becoming a strong downpour. They devised and tested a small, lightweight shelter for just the two of them. They had decided that Taloki should not go with them. He had repaid his life debt, and he was too unpredictable in the face of dangerous men.

"No, No!" Azura yelled as he woke from a nightmare.  
Inakara was used to this, and she simply held him tight until he realized where he was and that he was safe. "Same dream?" She asked.  
"Same. Why?"  
"I don't know. All I know is you were so brave my Prince. You didn't hesitate to fight those men."  
"It was stupid. I could have gotten us all killed."  
"Taloki was already dead, after they tortured him for the information. You did the right thing running in to save him. You did it like you were born to be a warrior."  
He shifted around. "Father never let me train to fight. He said I was meant for more important things. If I hadn't been hunting with Taloki, I wouldn't have even known which end of the spear to use."  
"Maybe you were a warrior in one of the past lives you dream about."  
"No, I think I was a coward in my past life. I was always running away."  
"Running away from what?"  
"Boredom, I think. What do you dream about?"  
"You cutting my heart out and showing it to me."  
"Nothing else?"  
"Some others, I like that one best."  
"Like? How can you like thinking of me like that?"  
"Some day you will understand."

"Taloki go with."  
"No, Taloki. You stay here until we get back." Inakara said.  
"Not gone long?  
"Not long." Inakara lied.  
He nodded and accepted that. "Taloki miss you."  
"I will miss you too. Stay away from bad men."  
"Taloki kill bad men."  
She worried that he would confront any men heading south after them.

Chapter 8: Hewki

Azura used his spear as a walking stick. He was lean and strong now, the hills never giving him trouble as they climbed. She walked behind, her mind too often going to worries of what lay ahead. They climbed to an overlook they had seen from the main path. Azura helped pull her up the last steep incline. The bright noon sun overhead reflected with dazzling brilliance off the golden mountains.  
"I guess they are real." Azura said.  
"And there are people, lots of them." She pointed far west and there were several columns of smoke, one emanating from a large clearing filled with buildings. None were as large as the ones her father built for the king, but they weren't simple huts either.  
"The main trail was headed off in the other direction. Maybe we can still use it."  
"Maybe. Or maybe we could just get lost in a crowded city." Inakara said, transfixed by the site of buildings after so long in the jungle.  
"Are you crazy? I am safe from my people south of the golden mountain. But I will never be safe from the southern people."  
"You would be if we became southern people. Let's camp and think about it."

"Who are you?"  
Inakara blinked her eyes, and then they went wide at the sight of three brutish men. "Iniki. This is my brother, Azuri." She said nervously in her little used southern language. She had changed the names to conform to Southern naming styles.  
"You don't belong up here. Only King's lookouts belong up here."  
"Sorry, we didn't know." Inakara said. She skipped the obvious question, and asked "What do you lookout for?"  
"Soldiers of North."  
She looked north and knew there was no way to see men, let alone who they were from up here. She skipped that obvious question as well. "Would you like me to cook for you?"  
"You cannot stay here." He said, a little thrown off by the offer.  
"We won't. We can stay down the hill and bring you delicious food for protecting us from the bad North people."  
He looked like he was enticed by the idea of it. This was likely a post of dried meat and nuts. The look the other two gave her was of a desire for something else.  
"Where you get food?"  
"Jungle below. My brother hunt, I gather."  
"Let her do it. If it is good, she can stay until our term is over." One of the others said reasonably.  
"How long is your term?" She asked.  
"Until the new moon." Kara knew the moon was full the previous night.  
They packed up quickly and headed down the steep slope. "Do you think you can find and catch a pig?" She asked Azura.  
"You're not really going to stay, are you?"  
"We need friends. They could be friends."  
"They are king's guard. They will kill us and eat us."  
"They will likely do worse than that, to me anyway."  
"What do you mean?"  
"They want to use me for sex."  
"Then we definitely need to run."  
"If we make friends with the king's guard, we could make friends with the king." He just looked at her like she was crazy. "We could talk them into going north and killing Jankar and his father."  
For a flash he liked the idea, but realized the plan would never work. "King's don't make friends with strange peasants."  
She nodded. "Try to catch a pig anyway. We need food if we are going to move fast through this land." It took most of the day, but he ran down and speared a fairly large one. She spent the evening slow roasting the best parts. They ate well while the rest of the lesser meat dried for traveling.  
"If we run south now, you will never become king." Inakara said.  
"I gave that up a long time ago. Killing Jankar is all I can hope for now. I have asked the gods to do that for me."  
"You will never become king, never have your beautiful wife, never have a son that will be a Prince like you. Never rule over the people of the Great City and beyond."  
"I know this. There is no need to remind me." He said, irritated at her repetition.  
"Are you certain you want to give that up?"  
"I have no choice."  
"You do, but it is far more likely you will die trying to get it. I will give up my dream as well."  
"What is your dream?" He asked.  
She ignored the question. "Tonight we will make a new dream." She stood up and removed her clothing. "I know I am not a beautiful wife, but I can make a son for you. Maybe he will get your vengeance and become King in your place."  
Azura had seen her naked many times, mostly when they were swimming. There was something different about this. She approached him slowly and knelt, slowly pulling away his clothing. "What are you doing?"  
She answered without words. She kissed him, his face, his mouth, his neck. She finished removing his clothing and found him ready for her. She pushed him back and put her leg over him. It was not how she dreamed it would happen, but at least it was with him. She pushed down against him and felt the ripping pain her mother had told her to expect. She watched his eyes close and felt his body shudder. His son was inside her now. She kissed him and held him.  
"You deserved better, my Prince."  
"I don't understand." Was all he could think to say.  
"Someday you will, and I hope you forgive me."  
In the morning she warmed the prepared food and climbed the steep hill. Azura wanted to go with her, but she knew it was more dangerous if he was there, especially if they forced her.  
The men were very happy to see her. "We thought you ran away."  
"Took all day to find and cook pig. I hope you like." She turned and started to walk away.  
"Wait." He held out the large leaf wrapped bundle of food she had handed him. "You eat some."  
"I already ate." She said, confused. "Oh, you think I poison?" She smiled "I will eat all if you want." She opened the leaf and took a large piece and popped it in her mouth. "I cook better in home than campfire. You have servant to cook for you?" He shook his head. "Would you like me to cook for you all the time?"  
He tasted the food, then smiled. "This is delicious. I am not familiar with the flavor."  
"It is a spice found in the root of a plant. I carry pouch of it with me because it make food special." The other men tried it and liked it as well. She tried to leave again.  
"Stay, talk. What was your name, Inky?"  
"Iniki."  
"That is strange. Where you from?"  
"Far South, near big river."  
"Big River. Have you seen giant lizards?"  
"Many. Almost eat me once when swimming. So many teeth, so scary." She said in exaggerated fear.  
"Why you come North?"  
"Look for new places, new people. I hear city full of wondrous things. Missed it and went further north, and then met some men on the road. They said back this way, so we climb this mountain to find. Very sorry we don't belong here. I leave now."  
"What men did you see north of here?" He asked tensely.  
"Two old men with fish. They say lake good place for fish." She pointed at the large lake north of them. He seemed to relax at that.  
"Do you have other skills besides cooking?" The other man said.  
"I can clean, and make clothing, and care for children, and…" She stopped when he was shaking his head. "Oh, sex. I can do for you, but it is my bleeding time." She exposed herself and the bloody cloth between her legs. All three looked away in disgust. She smiled inwardly. "Three, maybe four days and I can do for you.  
"Do you know how to use your mouth?" She had seen the whores in the city do that and was certain she would vomit if she tried. She shook her head in mock shame. "Come here and I'll teach you.  
"Leave the poor girl alone." The leader said. "You bring more food tomorrow?"  
"If you wish this, I will. May I ask your name?"  
"Hekwi. I am the leader of the over watchers. If you want to be servant, you can come with me to the city." She brightened.  
"My brother?"  
"He looks strong. Would he be interested in becoming a king's guard?"  
"He has often talked about becoming great warrior man like you." She could tell he very much loved the compliment. He nodded and finally let her leave.  
Azura jumped up when she came into view. "I was so worried about you." She smiled and hugged him tightly. He pulled back and looked at her. It was different now she realized. She leaned forward and kissed him. He was no longer tentative as he had been last night. His hands pulled at her clothes.  
"I can't." She said. He looked hurt. "What we did last night tore me open. I need to heal. We will do it again when I have healed." He smiled and nodded. Then she thought about where she would be when that happened.  
"We can leave right now." He turned away and began packing up the rest of their things. "Or…" He stopped. "Would you be interested in being a king's guard?"  
"They are our enemies."  
"We have no people, we have no friends, therefore we have no enemies. If you do this, we never have to run."  
"Unless they find out the truth."  
"Who would tell them?" He shrugged, having no answer. "You would be trained to be a soldier. You would gain the skills you would need to get your revenge."  
"You want to stay?"  
"I only want to be with you, my Prince. This is your decision. There is a lake just north of here. Do you want to swim while you think about your choice?" She could tell he want to do more than just swim. She was something different to him now. They walked to the shore and found a sandy beach on one side. She let him watch her disrobe. He was was full with need when he disrobed. She had rarely looked closely at a man, and never when they were hard. She walked to him and kissed him. She used her hand to pull at him, but that only seemed to make him more in need.  
She knelt down in the sand and put it in her mouth. It was not as disgusting as she had imagined. She looked up at him and his eyes were wide with desire. She sucked and bobbed her head as she has seen the whores do, and soon he jerked and filled her mouth. She spit it out and coughed, not expecting that result. She got up and walked into the water and rinsed her mouth out as she pushed off and began swimming. She rubbed the cold water between her legs to eliminate the blood and sooth the soreness she felt. He had entered the water after her and swam nearby, floating on his back. She wondered if she could do that for the men at the top of the mountain. If it meant a safe life with her Prince and his child, she would do anything. Being the servant of the powerful man was far safer than wandering South.  
"I think we should stay." Azura said as he stepped out of the water. She was standing in the sun drying.  
"I think so too. Before you make your final decision, you need to know what will happen. I will be his servant. This means I will likely be forced to have sex with him. You cannot show jealousy, because he thinks you are my brother. That means we will not be having sex again."  
"What you did last night, that is sex?"  
"You didn't know what sex was?"  
"No. I thought it was part of marriage."  
"It should be. We don't have time for such luxuries. I needed you to break me open so if they forced me, I could pretend to enjoy it."  
"Enjoy it?"  
"Yes, women can enjoy it, once they get used to it. What I did before we swam surprised me. I enjoyed giving you pleasure, but did not expect so much to come out. She saw him hardening again. "Would you like me to do it again?" He didn't say anything, but she could tell he did. She knelt and repeated her earlier efforts. All the bad taste was gone, washed off in the lake. When she felt him jerk and grunt, she pulled it out of her mouth and watched it shoot onto her breasts. She wiped a little off with her index finger. This was what makes babies. She expected to see a tiny baby somewhere in the viscous liquid. She wondered if his baby was growing inside her.  
Hekwi would probably think it was his child if he forced her. That would make her even more valuable a servant, and Azura's child would be raised the son of a leader of the king's guard. She was certain this would lead to a good outcome.

"Iniki, this is my mate, Onara."  
"I am happy to serve." Inakara said demurely.  
"Where did you say you were from?"  
"South by big river." The woman just nodded. "You will be in this room." She said, showing her a square room narrower than Inakara was tall. It had likely been for storage.  
"Thank you." Inakara said, gently putting her belongings in one corner.  
"You can help me make dinner and I will show you where everything is."  
Inakara followed her outside to a separate communal cooking area. There were several women there.  
"Who is this, Onara?"  
"Hekwi bought me a slave to do the cooking and cleaning." Inakara barely controlled herself at the use of the word 'slave'. She saw the envy on all the other women's faces.  
"Hewki grows in status." One older woman observed.  
"And in size with all that he eats." Onara said. They set about cooking and Onara was pleasantly surprised at the skill. "I thought you were just a sex girl. You actually know how to cook."  
"I offer sex, Hewki no want." Onara seemed pleased with this answer. "I cook for many since I was very young."  
"You have sex with many since you were young?"  
"No. I start very recent. Men not much attracted."  
"I highly doubt that. Hewki says you came here with your brother?"  
"Yes. He live with king's guard to train."  
"Let's go to the river and I'll show you where to get fresh water." They walked between the small buildings. When they were alone on a long path down to the river, Onara said "You are not who you say you are." If it wasn't accented, Inakara would have responded naturally to the words spoken in her native tongue. Instead she just looked at the woman doing her best to hide the fear. "I know you are from the North. Are you a spy?"  
"Not a spy. We run from bad men."  
"My mother came here for the very same reason. I recognize your accent because I heard it my entire childhood."  
"Will you tell Hewki?"  
"Not unless you anger me. I have no desire to share my husband with you. Do not offer him sex, and refuse it if he should ask."  
"I am slave…" She almost choked on the word. " I cannot refuse."  
"You aren't a slave. I just said that to make the women jealous. You are free to leave anytime. I will understand if you need to run. My mother was lucky to find a good man here. He protected her from the king's men. There is much concern with men from the north. Spies tell us they have sent men south."  
"Only to look for me and my brother. They will not come here. They stop at golden mountain."  
"That is good news. We have enough problems without adding a new war to them."  
Onara showed her where to get the fresh water, where to dump the waste and do the washing.

Chapter 9: King's Guard

"How is training?" Inakara asked.  
"Very difficult." Azura said. He was bruised and cut many ways. He had a very different form of weariness on his face. It had been more than a moon since they had seen each other. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and tell him they could leave any time he wanted. Hewki had warned her not to mother him or the others would tease him.  
"How much longer?"  
"As long as it takes." He said with dispirited acceptance. He turned to go back into the training courtyard.  
"My prince." He turned back with a slight smile. She put her hand on her belly, then walked to him and whispered in their native language, "our prince."  
His eyes widened in surprise and then she saw the full Azura smile. He was no longer a beaten boy. He stood tall with renewed purpose. "My training will be completed soon." He said confidently.  
"We are so proud of you." She said. She watched him walk proudly back inside. She turned and headed toward the market. Her bleeding time was due almost a month ago, and the next one was due anytime now, but she felt no such discomfort. She also did not feel the expected sickness in morning, but her mother had told her this was not always the case. She hoped it was true. She wasn't sure who she could tell Onara the father was. If she claimed it was one of the other two guards at the watching place, she might be forced to go live with them. If she lied and said it was Hewki, that would probably make her angry enough to report her as a northern spy. She had learned that women were not sacrificed by cutting open the chest and pulling out the still beating heart. Instead they were tossed into the smoking mountain to prevent it from erupting fire. She didn't know which was worse, but she wanted neither. She wanted her child to take back his father's birthright. She wanted him to make it a better world, where no sacrifices were made. No one was forced to build useless buildings. No slaves toiled to death under the hot sun. No slaves at all, in name nor in action. She had been a slave that day Azura first came to her. She had no choice in what she did to stay alive, to stay off the sacrificial alter. She saw Azura as the one to change the system. She saw herself as the one to help him change it. That had been her dream. Keeping this baby alive was the only way she saw that dream could come true.

"Who is the father?" Onara asked.  
"It is not Hewki."  
"I know that. Who is the father?"  
"There is no father."  
"Lying to me will make me angry." She said this often, forcing Inakara to do whatever she wanted.  
"Azuri."  
"That is an unholy sin." Onara said with shocked disgust.  
"He is not my brother."  
"Who is he?"  
"When the King died, his closest adviser killed everyone and put his own son on the throne. We escaped being killed by sheer luck. Azuri is Prince Azura, rightful king of the Great City of the North."  
"That is why men were coming south to pursue you. I thought maybe you murdered someone important. Are you married?"  
"No. I used him to open myself in case Hewki or the men wanted to force me. Hewki kept them from using anything but my mouth."  
"Hewki used your mouth?"  
"Please don't be angry with me."  
"Do you have any other secrets? Are you here to harm the king?"  
"No. Our desire is to someday return and kill the false King in the North for what he has done to everyone we know."  
"They killed your family?"  
"I don't know. We were far from the Great City when we were attacked and escaped. I hope my family survived, but my father was not one to stay quiet about what had happened to me."  
"Your child is our child then. We will raise it as such. Perhaps he will one day make right what they did to my mother and her family.

Inakara was halfway through her pregnancy when Azura finished his training. Hewki brought him to the house to share a meal. His hair was cut short and his uniform looked strange on him. She almost did not recognize him. He hugged her tightly, feeling the protruding belly between them, and whispered in her ear. "Our prince."  
After the meal they went for a walk down to the river. "If I knew how long we would be apart, I never would have agreed to do this, but I am glad you made this choice."  
"It was your choice, my prince." Inakara said.  
"No, you had the wisdom to see the possibilities. I only went along because I trusted you to know better than me." He stopped and turned her to face him. She realized he was now taller than her, because she had to look up slightly into his eyes. "In the darkest nights I would think of you by the fire that night. I realized that my search for the most beautiful wife had ended with you. You knew all along that you were the one I was looking for?"  
"You deserved better than me." She said, smiling to herself.  
"There is no one better than you. I love you, Inakara."  
Tears flooded her eyes. "I love you, my Prince." He leaned forward and kissed her and her legs melted as his strong hands pulled her tightly into him. She finally pulled away and pulled him by the hand toward the river. They walked far upriver to a secluded spot. She undressed while he watched. He smiled at her protruding belly. He knelt and kissed the bump, his hands caressing the unborn child. He looked up at her. She pulled his mouth to her breast and he suckled her gently. "Harder." She requested and he did as she asked. She pulled him to the other side and felt herself moisten inside.  
She pulled him up and kissed his mouth and grasped his hardness through the rough uniform. She began pulling at the clothing, forcing her hands inside to feel his hardened, manly body. He pulled his clothing off and she knelt and took him lovingly in her mouth. He ignored her obviously improved skill and was soon on the edge. She held him there purposely as her hands continued to explore him.  
"I want to be inside you." He said trying to pull away.  
"You will be, my Prince." She quickened her mouth movements and he lost control. She enjoyed his salty warmth filling her. She stood, kissed his cheek, and then pulled him into the river. She discreetly rinsed her mouth as she swam against the lazy current.  
"You knew that first day, didn't you?"  
"Knew what, my Prince?"  
"That we would be together."  
"No." He looked disappointed with that answer. "I didn't know. I certainly hoped." He brightened. "You pulled my heart out of my chest and showed me what it truly wanted. That is when my nightmare became my favorite dream."  
"You said you had to give up your dream that night by the fire."  
"I wanted to be with you for the first time in your bed in the palace, after we had our joining ceremony in front of the whole city."  
"I wish you had told me before we went on that silly search."  
"You were too young, and your advisers would have rightfully told you I wasn't good enough for you. Also, we would both be dead if you had gone along with me on that."  
"I know every way to kill a man now. I haven't chosen which one I will use on him."  
"All of them. Slowly." She said. He nodded. She swam toward the shore and stopped when she could touch the bottom. She pulled him to her and kissed him slowly. It was time for her to find the pleasure a woman could feel. Her mother had described it, and she had heard it often enough in their small home. Azura kissed her breasts again without having to be asked. She guided him inside and used her hands on his small tight rear to guide him to the perfect penetrating rhythm. She felt the wave approaching and loudly vocalized her enjoyment and her love for him. He filled her this second time and she knew the perfection of human intimacy.  
The warm river bathed them as they floated on their mutual joy. The sun finally faded and they felt the chill of night approaching. They climbed out and touched each other to stay warm while drying. His need returned again. She knelt again, but he pushed her back and moved on top and inside her. He showed her the man he had become as his mouth explored her breasts.  
He hugged her goodbye near Hewki's house, then returned to the training center near the palace. She lay diagonally in her small bedroom, feeling his essence inside her as she relived every moment of his touch. It wasn't how she had dreamed it would be, but in many ways it was better. In his palace he would have still been that soft boy, not the hard man he had become.

"I am sorry, my Prince, it is a girl." Inakara said as he looked down at his child.  
"Don't be silly. She is a beautiful Princess like you."  
"Do you want to name her?"  
"There is a name that has come to me in my dreams many times. I never understood it because it is not one that was ever used, but it seems so familiar."  
"What is it?"  
"Dura."  
"I like it. But we will use the Southern way of naming, Duri, so she is not an outcast."  
"Your niece is beautiful, Azuri." Onara said, bringing Inakara a cup of water to drink.  
"She is, just like her mother. Thank you for all you have done for my sister, Onara."  
"We are family. Hewki tells me you are building a dwelling on the edge of town."  
"Yes, a small one."  
"I hope there is plenty of room for your sister. Her room here is far too small for her and the baby."  
"There will be room for her if she wants."  
"She does." Onara said, and then left.  
"She doesn't want you working here anymore?"  
"She knows everything." Azura's eyes went wide with fright. "She has from the start. She will not betray us. I will continue to help her with her chores. Do you want to hold her?"

"We found eight more." Azura said, laying in their bed holding her tightly as she nursed the baby.  
"Eight. He has not given up. Maybe he never will. Did they run?"  
"They tried. They failed. I killed three more of them. The king thinks my idea to patrol North was very smart. Your idea, of course, but I did not tell him that. Because of my bravery, he has made me commander of the new Northern patrol."  
"How many men?"  
"Just six others for now. I will be gone more often."  
"As long as I can welcome you home like we just did every time you return, you can travel as much as you want. How far North will you go?"  
"Not as far as Taloki's waterfall. He might not recognize me and attack. Or worse he might recognize me and give away my secret."  
"Maybe I should go north and talk to him."  
"It isn't safe to go alone."  
"When Dura is older." She said, but knew she wanted to eliminate this danger sooner than later.  
"Rainy season is coming soon."

Chapter 10: Warrior

"Taloki?" She called his name, but there was no sign of the big man. His lean-to was in disrepair, and the fire had not been used since the last flooding rain, which was probably weeks ago. This was a wasted trip, and it had been too dangerous. Dura walked toward the edge to look at the big waterfall. Inakara remembered the lake and decided to go for a swim before heading back south.  
She was drying her daughter off in the bright afternoon sun when she saw the bones. She wasn't sure what had killed him, but the scavengers had left little of him. She decided to head back immediately, feeling the danger that seemed so far away when they had lived here.  
"I am sorry, Taloki. No one should have to die alone." She looked through his belongings and took the food and knives. When she reached the lookout mountain path, she knew she was finally safe again. She had told Onara that she was going to visit family by the big river, a lie both understood. Inakara enjoyed the traveling, and almost headed south to see the big river so that it was not all a lie. Even if it was safer than what she did, she wanted Azura with her if she were to make such a journey. Maybe they would go when Dura could walk long distances on her own.  
"Dead?" Azura asked sadly. She nodded. "You shouldn't have gone. Was it Jankar's men?"  
"I don't think so, unless they only wounded him and did not follow him back to camp. He was by the lake, laying on his back. All that remained was bones. Maybe it was a jaguar, maybe it was sickness."  
"I can go further north then."  
"You probably shouldn't, but since you know the area so well, you could use his camp as a northern base. Both shelters are still there, but will need some repair."  
He nodded. "He saved us."  
"He really did." Inakara agreed.  
"I was so scared that day that I would lose you. I had never felt so weak as when I couldn't pull you back out of the mud. It would have been my mistake in wanting to find and help him."  
"It was that choice that gave us this life, my Prince. I want to see the big river. Maybe in a few years when Dura can run."  
"You need to use her proper name or she will learn the wrong one."  
"I know."  
"I leave again soon for a half-moon patrol."  
"Be careful. Anything big enough to kill Taloki is big enough to kill many of you. I need you to come home to me, my Prince.

The four men on patrol set up camp at Taloki's abandoned place. No one asked how he found it off the path, since he pointed at the small footprints left by Inakara. They believed he had special powers of insight since he seemed to know so many things that were not taught. They had been city dwellers all their life, so hunting and fishing were unknown to them. Star navigation as well. He even knew those eight men were hostile and even though they were outnumbered, they easily triumphed without injury.  
They had been there two days when they felt the ground tremble. They waited for the earthquake to stop, but it only grew louder. Suddenly Azura knew what it was.  
"Unkari! Grab your pack and run as fast as you can. Warn them that a northern army is coming!" He was the fastest runner and he did not need to be told twice. He was down to the bottom of the hill before the lead soldiers of the northern army crested the hill. "You two stay here and hide by the lake. If they find the camp, go down the hill on the other side of the lake and do your best to move south without the trail.  
They looked frightened, mostly by the word 'army', but nodded understanding of his command.  
"What will you do?"  
"I will make them wish they stayed north." He said with a fierce smile. He ran off toward the main path. When he got there he was spotted by the man at the front of the column. There were dozens of men in sight, and who knows how many still on the other side of the hill. Azura wondered why none of their spies had sent warning. A few men could slip by, but not an entire army.  
He made a rude gesture to them and then disappeared in the opposite direction of Taloki's camp. He heard shouting and heard the rumbling slow and stop. He carefully skirted the bog and hoped it was still as impassable as before. It looked drier, but he had no idea what that meant. When he reached the other side he took his spear and poked at the bottom, stepping a few feet into the muck. It was barely over his ankles. He waited for the soldiers to emerge. He laughed and made another rude gesture. A dozen men with spears came charging at him. He stepped back out of the mud and watched. To his dismay they did not sink into the mud. He knew the area well enough to stay ahead of them, but not forever. They were halfway across before the first one fell into the hole. Azura realized this was how Taloki had made his way so far across before getting stuck. All but two fell in to their neck. Two struggled fiercely and were soon gone from sight. Their battle cries turned to screams of fear and calls for help. Azura faded back into the jungle and watched as dozens more moved into rescue and got themselves stuck. Five more had gone under before the first vine was handed out to the stuck men.  
Azura circled around the back of the hill and did his best to get a count. There were over a hundred people, but only half as many soldiers. The others carried supplies and cooked for the soldiers. Knowing they would be tied up for a while trying to rescue men from the mud, Azura found his two scouts by the lake and led them safely to the bottom of the hill. He told them what he had done and they laughed as they ran toward home.

"The king wants to see you, Aziri."  
This both excited and terrified the young man. He followed the elite guard through the narrow corridors of the palace.  
"I thought it was time I met you. You have made quite a reputation for yourself."  
"Thank you, my King." Azura said. He wondered if Inakara would ever call him that.  
"Would you like to lead our army north to face the invaders?"  
"No, my King." He was not a man that heard the word 'no' very often. "I will take all my scouts north and destroy what is left of their army."  
"Seven against a hundred men?"  
"Seven against maybe forty soldiers. The rest are porters and cooks, many are women. They will either run home or we can bring them back as prisoners."  
"The odds do not favor you."  
"We know the territory. They will pursue me off the trail in small groups and my men will encircle and kill them a few at a time."  
"What if you fail?"  
"Have your army camp at this end of the narrow canyon. It will be easy to crush any that get past us."  
The king was impressed by his confidence and saw the wisdom of keeping his men close. "You may do this. Take four of my runners so that you may report your progress."  
"I will make preparations to leave at once, my King." He bowed and left quickly.

Azura sent one of the runners ahead with Unkari so they could find the warriors and report back. It took so long, Azura was afraid they had been captured or killed. The runner finally came into view. "They are heading back North. There are only about sixty of them, maybe twenty soldiers."  
Azura thought about it. Certainly that many had not died in the bog. "How spread out are they?"  
"Very far. There are soldiers in the front and the back."  
"How many in the back?"  
"It looked like four, but it was hard to tell."  
"Can you find Unkari?"  
"Yes, we agreed on place to meet before dark."  
"Take another runner with and send back word when they have made camp." The two ran ahead.  
He sent another runner back with an update to the king and what he planned. Then the remaining group set out North at a slow run. It was well after dark when the runner led them to where Unkari was watching the camp.  
Azura told them what he planned and they smiled. He crept alone around to the far side of the camped group and set fire to several trees. This was a sufficient distraction that three of his men were able to grab one of the rear sentries quietly and drag him away with no one noticing.

He was bound and gagged when Azura returned to the camp. The next part was going to be dangerous. He could not let on how well he knew the language of the North.  
"Why go North?" He asked the soldier poorly in his own language. He looked frightened. And whimpered through the cloth in his mouth. Azura made it clear what would happen if he made too much noise. He pulled the gag with his knife at the man's throat.  
"Evil spirits attack us. We leave before more die."  
"What spirits?"  
"Sickness kill many on the way here." This scared Azura, knowing he may have exposed his men by capturing this soldier. "Then laughing man trick soldiers into mud. Eleven men die. Then the jaguars came. We kill some, but they kill more. The leaders die in mud, so we are not organized. We run away."  
"What mission here?"  
"Many soldiers disappear in south. We were sent to find out why."  
"Now you know. Not safe here. Never return. Never tell we talk." The soldier nodded enthusiastically, hoping he would be let go.  
"You aren't going to let him go." One of his men said after Azura translated the conversation.  
"It is safe."  
"How do you know his language?"  
"Man came from north to my village to see big river. He learned our language, we learn his a little." It was a poor excuse, but he didn't think it would matter.  
"He is soldier, we should kill."  
"Better he tell of fear of what happens if they return." The men considered this and liked the idea of it. Most had been afraid of confronting a large army, but Azura had shown no fear. Azura's powerful legend was growing even further. "Head back to the ridge and watch. I will take this man back and make sure he remains silent."  
They helped the soldier stand and cut the bindings on his feet. Then they headed up the hill. Azura waited for them to get farther away, then he dropped his pretense at poor language skills.  
"What do you think of your new king?"  
"How do you know our language?"  
"Answer my question or I will kill you here and now."  
"He is my king."  
"He sends you on foolish missions to the south. What else does he do?"  
"I…"  
"Do you think I will report to him what you say?"  
"No… He is bad. Many more sacrifices since old King die. I was builder and forced to become soldier.  
"Builder. Did you work on the temple for the Prince?"  
"Everyone did. Now it is abandoned since Prince die of sickness like father."  
"Your new king has lied to you. Prince Azura is alive. That is who he was trying to kill by sending his soldiers south."  
"How do you know of Prince Azura?"  
"I know everything. Say nothing of what happened here tonight, or you will surely be sacrificed. When you get back to the Great City, tell those you trust that Prince Azura lives and he will return to rid them of their murderous, false king."  
Azura walked with him toward the camp, the fires were still burning, back-lighting the entire camp. "Did you know a girl named Inakara?"  
"I grew up with her."  
"Do her parents live?"  
"No. They were sacrificed soon after the king died."  
"And the sisters of the Prince?"  
"Youngest married the king, the other two were sacrificed. Are you the Prince?"  
"I am."  
"Please come back soon. Your people need you."  
Azura pulled out his knife, and cut the bound wrists. "I will, but you don't have to wait for my return to eliminate the false king and his corrupt father." He watched the soldier run toward the group and waited to see if he rallied his fellow soldiers to pursue him. They did not. Azura sent the men home except for Unkari, who helped him follow the group to be sure they stayed on the path North.  
"The king wanted you to kill them." Unkari said as they walked home.  
"I've done much worse, I have killed the one sending the soldiers south."  
"I hope this is true. I don't want war. You seem to know a lot about war."  
"My father used to tell the stories of the wars his ancestors fought. I was never brave as a child, but I wanted to be brave like the men in those stories. Knowing how to defeat the enemy is better than being brave."

"Azura, I am told you captured one of the soldiers and did not kill him."  
"He was not a soldier, my King. He was just a builder forced into service. He cooperated with me and it seemed better that he spread the fear of what we were capable of than just outright killing him."  
"How were you able to communicate with him?" He asked suspiciously.  
"A man from the North came to my village long ago. He wanted to see the big river. He shared some of his language with us. My sister and I practiced talking it as a game so others wouldn't know what we were saying. I had forgotten much of it."  
The King seemed to contemplate this. Azura was sure he would find fault with the story. "I am concerned my spies in the north did not report this army to me. I would like to send you and your sister north to find out why, and to do some spying of your own."  
Azura was both excited and terrified. He knew how dangerous such a mission would be. He also knew that he no longer looked anything like the boy they had searched for. Inakara did not look much different, more womanly to be sure, but her appearance could be further changed.

"He was a builder? What was his name?" Inakara asked "I didn't ask, he didn't know you or your people." Azura lied. He wanted her to still have hope, even though that was gone long ago. "The important thing is that the people are not happy with their new King."  
"No people are ever happy with their King."  
"The people loved my father."  
"No, they only pretended to. They had to or they would be sacrificed."  
This really bothered Azura and he showed it. "You would have hated me as King?"  
"No, not if you had chosen me to be your Queen. I would have helped make the people love you."  
"How?"  
"By stopping the sacrifices of good people. By inspiring people to do the work that benefited all, not just the chosen few. By eliminating slavery…"  
"A city cannot function without slaves."  
"Yes it can. Don't be angry with me, my Prince."  
"This is what you wanted? This was your dream? To make me a weak King?"  
"You would be the most powerful king because your people would love you."  
"My father said it was better to be feared than loved. The ignorant masses do not understand or appreciate what it takes to make a city prosperous."  
"It is the 'ignorant masses' that make a city prosperous. It is their hard work that does it, not the slave master that forces them to. You saw me work hard, right? I did that because I loved the people I served, not because I feared being sacrificed. Imagine how prosperous the city would be if most or all the people worked because they loved it, loved serving the people."  
He remembered her telling him all this back when this had started. It made more sense now than it had then. His mind still sought flaws in her logic. "Who would love doing the dirty jobs, the difficult jobs?"  
"The challenging jobs. The dirty ones could be shared, taking turns or only doing it before moving on to a better job. No one should be stuck doing the same thing all their life unless that is what they wanted. Look at you. You were going to be a king's guard, standing around a palace waiting for an attack that would never come. Maybe they would have you stand on the lookout for half a moon. Instead, you have changed the role into one of adventure and action."  
"Speaking of that, the king wants us to go North and spy."

Chapter 11: Jankar's Assassin

"Sacrifice them all." Jankar demanded after hearing that rumors were spreading about Prince Azura being alive.  
"There will be no one left to serve you. I told you not to move on the prince until after the funeral." His father said in exasperation.  
"And you never tire of reminding me. We need to kill him."  
"You sent three hundred soldiers. Less than twenty returned."  
"Those weren't our best soldiers. What we need is an assassin. One man to go find him and kill him."  
"That man does not exist."  
"Then we need to create him… or her. Women can infiltrate better without causing suspicion."  
Inakara wondered if they were on to her as she cleared the dishes from the dinner table. She had been working there for a moon, starting in the kitchen and now with the servers. If she knew about poisons, the two men would already be dead. She could cut one of their throats, maybe both, before the king's guard killed her.  
"Women cannot be trusted. I will talk with Antona tomorrow about creating an assassin."  
"We will talk to him." Jankar corrected his father with irritation.

"It is time." Inakara said.  
"Why?" Azura asked.  
"He wants to train someone to find and kill you."  
"So? He won't look here in the city for me."  
"If you don't do it soon, I will."  
"Don't say such things. You may leave the palace any time you like."  
"Why are you waiting? I know you aren't afraid."  
"Getting rid of him does not immediately give me my throne back. No one knows me. The Priests will probably seize power."  
"Who cares? We have a better life in the South. Let the murderous bastards all kill each other."  
"I know you don't mean that."  
"They killed my entire family and everyone that knew them. It's like they never existed."  
"And we'll repay them in kind, but only when we are ready to make a better world for what remains." She nodded, and then kissed him.  
"I need to report back so I will be gone for half a moon. You should come with me and stay in the South."  
"No, I will continue to prepare the way. Tell Dura I love her and hope to be home soon."  
She returned to the palace and resumed her watching and listening.

"You have done well, Aziri."  
"Thank you, my King."  
"I need you to do the same with the people of the south mountains."  
"I do not understand, my king."  
"There have been disturbing reports from those people that live high above the clouds. I need to know if the reports are true."  
"Yes, my king. I need to go get my sister out of the northern city first."  
"Why? She is a good spy to keep there."  
"She left her child behind."  
"The child is cared for, is it not?"  
"She expects me back in a quarter moon, my king. She will worry if I do not return."  
"She is just a woman. Are her concerns more important than mine?"  
"No, my king."  
Just like that, the whims of a man destroyed his future. If Azura does not return, Inakara will think he is dead and will take her rage out on Jankar and she would die. He had to go North, but that would end his life here. He never should have left her up there.  
This was the choice of his lifetime. It could be moons before he reached the mountain people. He would not be able to infiltrate them. If they were in rebellion, he would die. If he left here to go North, he could never return.  
"You are back Aziri. Duri will be so happy to see her mother." She saw the ashen look on his face. "She is dead?"  
She might as well be, he thought. "No, she decided to stay in the North to spy."  
"Then why are you so…"  
"The King wants me to leave her there and go south to the mountain people."  
Onara understood his dilemma. She thought Hewki could talk to the King, but that would do nothing. "I will pack Duri's things to go North."  
"It isn't safe for her there."  
"It does not matter. She needs her mother, and her mother needs her."

"Why did you bring her?" Inakara said, holding her daughter tightly as tears streamed down.  
"We have lost our home in the south." He explained what had happened. She agreed with his decision. "We shall go North, after we do what needs to be done."  
"You will not be able to get close." Inakara said.  
"I grew up in that palace. I know how to get to him."  
"Then you should have done it before you left." He nodded, knowing she was right. He still had hopes of becoming King. That was never going to happen now.  
"There are two guards in his room as he sleeps. Only I can get to him. It is the only way."  
"No. We leave then, tonight."  
"Not before that monster is dead." She said venomously.  
"Give me two days, I will think of something."  
It came to him as he washed his daughter by the river. Then he began planning their escape to the north.

As a child, Azura had crawled into every small crevice of the expansive palace. He was too big now to fit in most of the small gaps and passages that served to channel rainwater from the center of the structure out to the nearby river. The weakness he realized was in the roof itself. After dark he made his way into the compound and up onto the slippery surface. It may have been better to wait for drier weather, but the sound of the rain helped mask his movements.  
Hands down in front of him, he slowly crawled upward toward the middle of the structure. From the corner of the private courtyard, he saw the two guards outside the false king's chamber door. They would have to be the first to die, and quietly. It would be impossible he realized. The echo in the courtyard would alert others. He moved away from the king's chamber.  
Through a gap in the wall next to the roof, he lowered himself quietly into the chamber of the king's father. It took little stealth since the fat man snored louder than a hundred bullfrogs. Azura went to the dressing table and picked up a golden comb. It had been his mother's. It was not a good weapon for fighting. It was a good weapon for sending a message. He picked up the candle and carried it over to the bed.  
He wondered if this man had somehow brought on the affliction that shortened his father's life. The easiest and quietest way to dispatch the man was to roll him face down and kneel on the back of his neck until the lack of oxygen caused sleep, and then death. Azura wanted the man to know who was ending his life, and the risk of some noise was acceptable.  
He held the golden comb as he stepped up onto the bed. The shifting of the bed caused the snoring pattern to change slightly. He lifted one foot and positioned it over the man's throat. A swift kick downward crushed the windpipe. The eyes came open instantly and hands moved to the place of intense pain. Azura dropped to his knees, pinning the man's arms to his chest as fingers tried desperately to open the blocked airway. The candle flickered on Azura's face as Unkar sought some recognition. It wasn't until Azura spoke that he understood.  
"I am Azura, Rightful King of this Great City. You are dead now. Your son will die soon." Unkar began to struggle, the understanding finally reaching through the terror. Azura sent the handle of the golden comb down though Unkar's left eye. He left it there after the twitching stopped. Azura hoped his father had been waiting on the other side to add his vengeance.  
Azura pulled the ornate draperies off the walls and piled them on the bed. He stacked several wooden chairs on top of the cloth and set the pile aflame. He climbed back up and out onto the roof before the smoke became too dense. His eyes burned as he made his way across the roof the courtyard. It was quite a while before the scream of a woman was heard. The two guards lifted the spears and sprinted across the courtyard. Azura dropped down in front of the master chamber door. He opened it slowly.  
"What is it that has disturbed my sleep." Jankar said angrily to the man he thought was one of his guards.  
"It is a fire."  
"Where?" He asked, anger shifting to concern.  
"Fire?" It was a woman's voice asking with fear. Azura hesitated. He had expected Jankar to be alone. He didn't want to kill an innocent women. Then he suddenly feared it might be his sister. The light in the room was not good enough to make life and death decisions. He had to end this quickly or he would not escape.  
"It is in the kitchen. There shouldn't be any danger." Azura said. He could feel Jankar's suspicions growing. A guard would have ended every sentence with 'my king'. Azura could not bring himself to do that. Jankar had been trained to fight, so Azura was quickly losing the advantage. He took a few more steps toward the bed. "Perhaps we should go to the gathering hall for safety."  
"Who are you?" Jankar asked, sliding out of bed and standing.  
"My king, what is happening?" The woman asked. Azura was sure her screams would bring the guards running in force. She began moving to get out of the bed.  
"Stay there, Polara. This man is not one of my guards."  
It was his sister. He had only one choice. "I am Prince Azura, the rightful heir to the throne you sit on." He saw Jankar move left toward the dressing table. There were likely weapons available to him.  
"Azura?" She asked. "You are not dead?"  
"He will be soon enough." Jankar said. Azura had hoped Jankar would feel powerful enough to take down his childhood rival alone. He was not calling out for his guards. He had some weapon in his hand and he moved toward Azura. Azura backed away carefully, leading him away from the bed.  
"I killed so many of those who you sent after me."  
"I killed everyone you ever loved."  
"Not everyone."  
"Your sister will follow you soon if she doesn't produce a son for me."  
It was a long knife Azura saw as Jankar thrust it forward when he believed he was close enough. Azura dodged the blade easily and kicked sharply toward his knees. It was a glancing blow as they separated and squared off again.  
"You were always a coward as a child, not much has changed."  
"You were a bully, so neither of us has changed."  
"Please don't kill my brother, my king. Spare him and I will give you a son."  
"If you had control of such things, I would kill you right now for producing a daughter first. Tell your brother to kneel and I shall make it quick and painless."  
"It was quick but far from painless when I killed your father."  
"Liar."  
"Smell the smoke? That is your father cooking in the fires of hell."  
Jankar rushed forward in a rage and Azura dodged and kicked again, this time connecting solidly with the side of Jankar's knee. His roar of pain was cut short as his head hit the stone floor. The metal blade bounced noisily across the floor. Azura kicked the head with all of his strength. He then jumped down on the bigger man's back and grabbed the jaw in one hand and hair in the other. The snap was satisfying as he twisted the head around.  
"Is he dead?"  
"Very."  
"Are you king now?" She asked. Azura wondered that himself. The guards would be back soon and they were likely loyal to the dead man. It was far more likely they would kill him before any claim to the throne would be heard.  
"No. Tell them a man from the southern lands did this." Azura pulled a piece of torn cloth from his belt and dropped it next to the body. "Take your daughter and leave the city."  
"And go where?"  
"Anywhere." He went to servant's door and peeked into the corridor. It was empty. "Come back only if you hear I have been returned to the throne."  
"Can't I go with you?"  
"No. I have my own family to take care of. Count to fifty and then start screaming." He darted out the door and pulled it closed. He ran the familiar corridors and made his way up onto the roof. The flames were high and most of the people had moved back, giving up on extinguishing the fire. He was far down the hill when his sister's screams pierced the night air. He had little sympathy for her, having chosen the bed of his enemy over death.

"It is done."  
"Both of them?"  
"Yes."  
"Can we stay?" Inakara asked, the baby sleeping quietly in the bed next to her.  
"It would not be safe. I say we go north until things settle down." As familiar as the city was to her, she did not feel attached to it as she once had. She gathered her meager belongings and lifted the child. "It can wait until morning." He said.  
"No, better to get out when no one is around to ask questions." They sat on an overlook outside the city and watched the palace burn. It was only the wooden structures that burned, the palace walls were strong and rebuilding would take minimal effort.  
"Who will take over?"  
"The priests. Eventually someone with strong ambition will take control. It is the way of men."  
"Better if it was the way of women."

End Notes:  
When I started writing this book, Azura was going to be the reincarnated Dura. As with all my stories, they never go the way I expect them to.

If you are interested in the rest of the story, or other stories I am writing, visit (no spaces) Texas Rose Publishing dot com.


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